'Brother Saladin,' said I, 'can you now doubt that some men are born to be fortunate and others to be unfortunate?
How often you used to dispute this point with me!' "'Let us not dispute it now in the public street,' said he, smiling; 'but come in and refresh yourself, and we will consider the question afterwards at leisure.' "'No, my dear brother,' said I, drawing back, 'you are too good: Murad the Unlucky shall not enter your house, lest he should draw down misfortunes upon you and yours.

I come only to ask for my vase.' "'It is safe,' cried he; 'come in, and you shall see it: but I will not give it up till I have you in my house.

I have none of these superstitious fears: pardon me the expression, but I have none of these superstitious fears.' "I yielded, entered his house, and was astonished at all I saw.

My brother did not triumph in his prosperity; but, on the contrary, seemed intent only upon making me forget my misfortunes: he listened to the account of them with kindness, and obliged me by the recital of his history: which was, I must acknowledge, far less wonderful than my own.
He seemed, by his own account, to have grown rich in the common course of things; or rather, by his own prudence.

I allowed for his prejudices, and, unwilling to dispute farther with him, said, 'You must remain of your opinion, brother, and I of mine; you are Saladin the Lucky, and I Murad the Unlucky; and so we shall remain to the end of our lives.' "I had not been in his house four days when an accident happened, which showed how much I was in the right.