Great prince of genii, says the old man, you must know that we are three brothers, I and the two black dogs you see. Our father, when he died, left each of us one thousand sequins. With that sum we all entered into the same way of living, and became merchants. A little time after we had opened shop, my eldest brother, one of these two dogs, resolved to travel, and trade in foreign countries. With this view, he sold his estate, and bought goods proper for the trade he intended. He went away, and was absent a whole year; at the end of which, a poor man, who I thought had come to ask alms, presented himself before me in my shop. I said to him, God help you. God help you also, answered he: is it possible you do not know me? Upon this I looked at him narrowly, and knew him. Ah, brother, cried I, embracing him, how could I know you in this condition? I made him come into my house, and asked him concerning his health and the success of his travels. Do not ask me that question, says he: when you see me, you see all: it would only renew my grief to tell you all the particulars of the misfortunes that have befallen me, and reduced me to this condition, since I left you. I immediately shut up my shop, and carrying him to a bath, gave him the best clothes I had by me; and, examining my books, and finding that I had doubled my stock, that is to say, that I was worth two thousand sequins, I gave him one half: With that, says I, brother, you may make up your loss. He joyfully accepted the proffer, recovered himself, and we lived together as before. Some time after, my second brother, who is the other of these two dogs, would also sell his estate. I, and his other brother, did all we could to divert him from it, but without effect. He sold it, and with the money bought such goods as were suitable to the trade he designed. He joined a caravan, and took a journey. He returned, at the end of the year, in the same condition as my other brother; and I, having gained another thousand sequins, gave him them, with which he furnished his shop, and continued to follow his trade.