I opened the third door, and found a large aviary, paved with marble of several fine and uncommon colors. The trelliswork was made of sandalwood and wood of aloes. It contained a vast number of nightingales, goldfinches, canary-birds, larks, and other singing birds, and the vessels that held their seed were of the most sparkling jasper or agate. The sun went down, and I retired, charmed with the notes of the multitude of birds, who then began to perch upon such places as suited them for repose during the night. I went to my chamber, resolving on the following days to open all the rest of the doors, excepting that of gold.
The next day I opened the fourth door. I entered a large court, surrounded with forty gates, all open, and through each of them was an entrance into a treasury. The first was stored with heaps of pearls. In the second treasury, were diamonds, carbuncles, and rubies; in the third, emeralds; in the fourth, ingots of gold; in the fifth, objects of carven ivory; in the sixth, ingots of silver; and in the two following, money. The rest contained amethysts, chrysolites, topazes, opals, turquoises, agate, jasper, cornelian, and coral, of which there was a storehouse filled, not only with branches, but whole trees.
Thus, day by day, I went through these various wonders. Thirty-nine days afforded me but just as much time as was necessary to open ninety-nine doors, and to admire
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