Story 18

  A royal prince, having inherited abundant treasures from his father,

opened the hand of liberality and satisfied his impulse of

generosity by lavishing without stint benefits upon the army and the

population.

        A tray of lignum aloes will emit no odour.

        Place it on fire, it will smell like ambergris.

        If thou wishest to be accounted great, be liberal

        Because grain will not grow unless it be sown.

  One of his courtiers began heedlessly to admonish him, saying:

'Former kings have by their exertions accumulated this wealth and

deposited it for a useful purpose. Cease this movement because

calamities may arise in front and enemies in the rear. It is not

meet for thee to be helpless at a time of necessity.'

        If thou distributest a treasure to the multitude

        Each householder will receive a grain of rice.

        Why takest thou not from each a barley-corn of silver

        That thou mayest accumulate every day a treasure?

  The royal prince turned away his face at these words and said:

'God the most high has made me the possessor of this country, to enjoy

and to bestow, not to guard and to retain.'

  Qarun, who possessed forty treasure houses, perished.

  Nushirvan has not died because he obtained a good reputation.