It happened once that some of Muhammad-Shah’s relatives came from a great distance to visit him, and a Mullah came too. Muhammad-Shah told Ilyás to catch a sheep and kill it. Ilyás skinned the sheep, and boiled it, and sent it in to the guests. The guests ate the mutton, had some tea, and then began drinking kumiss. As they were sitting with their host on down cushions on a carpet, conversing and sipping kumiss from their cups, Ilyás, having finished his work, passed by the open door. Muhammad-Shah, seeing him pass, said to one of the guests:

“Did you notice that old man who passed just now?”

“Yes,” said the visitor, “what is there remarkable about him?”

“Only this⁠—that he was once the richest man among us,” replied the host. “His name is Ilyás. You may have heard of him.”

“Of course I have heard of him,” the guest answered, “I never saw him before, but his fame has spread far and wide.”