Read Patrañas; or, Spanish Stories, Legendary and Traditional Page 47

  MOORISH REMNANTS.

  IV.

  YUSSUF'S FRIEND.

  The merchant Yussuf took great pains to train up his only son inprudence, that he might be able, when he was no more, to carry on hisbusiness, as he had done before him, with credit and success. Butin spite of all his lessons, he would be continually putting hisconfidence in worthless persons; and in particular he fostered anintimacy with a young Jew of dangerous character, who had severaltimes, by fraud and cunning, cheated him out of large sums, all thewhile leading young Yussuf to believe that what he had done was fairand just; nor would he listen to his father's suspicion of him.

  The merchant Yussuf had to take a journey to Africa with his son;and while preparing for it, he lamented loudly over the difficultyhe was in as to placing his money in safety during his absence.

  "Now, if you had not been so suspicious of my friend the Jew," saidyoung Yussuf, "there's a man who would have taken care of it for you!"

  "You know my opinion of him," replied his father.

  "Ah! you're so suspicious," replied young Yussuf, "I know him better."

  "Well, if you think so well of him, I will on your advice ask him totake care of a strong-box for me."

  "Well done, father!" replied the young man; "you'll see you'll neverrepent it."

  The same evening, the merchant Yussuf sent a large chest, heavy enoughto contain a vast amount of treasure, to the Jew, by the hand of hisson; and the next day they set out for Africa.

  Having brought their affairs to a prosperous termination, the twoYussufs returned home to Granada.

  On the morrow of their arrival, the merchant sent his son to theJew, to reclaim the strong-box. Young Yussuf returned presently,full of indignation.

  "Father, you have insulted my friend beyond all possibility ofreconciliation. He tells me it was not money you entrusted to hiskeeping, but a parcel of broken stones!"

  "And pray," replied his father, "how did your honourable frienddiscover what was in my strong-box? To find this out, he must havebroken my locks; which will, I think, show you it was very well Igave no greater value into his keeping."

  Young Yussuf hung his head, and suffered himself to be guided afterthat by his father's experience in his judgment of mankind.