When the owl, who was dozing in a corner, heard of this
proclamation, he rolled his large eyes and looked more mysterious than
ever.
"Allah Akbar!" exclaimed he, "happy the man that shall effect that
cure, should he but know what to choose from the royal treasury."
"What mean you, most reverend owl?" said Ahmed.
"Hearken, O prince, to what I shall relate. We owls, you must
know, are a learned body, and much given to dark and dusty research.
During my late prowling at night about the domes and turrets of
Toledo, I discovered a college of antiquarian owls, who hold their
meetings in a great vaulted tower where the royal treasury is
deposited. Here they were discussing the forms and inscriptions and
designs of ancient gems and jewels, and of golden and silver
vessels, heaped up in the treasury, the fashion of every country and
age; but mostly they were interested about certain relics and
talismans that have remained in the treasury since the time of
Roderick the Goth. Among these was a box of sandal-wood secured by
bands of steel of Oriental workmanship, and inscribed with mystic
characters known only to the learned few. This box and its inscription
had occupied the college for several sessions, and had caused much
long and grave dispute. At the time of my visit a very ancient owl,
who had recently arrived from Egypt, was seated on the lid of the
box lecturing upon the inscription, and he proved from it that the
coffer contained the silken carpet of the throne of Solomon the
wise; which doubtless had been brought to Toledo by the Jews who
took refuge there after the downfall of Jerusalem.
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