histories and I have looked into their conditions, but never saw I

or heard I a bigger liar than the Chosroan which is with us in the
jail." Quoth another, "And never did I see aught fouler than his favor

or more hideous than his visnomy." Asked the Prince, "What have ye
seen of his lying?" and they answered: "He pretendeth that he is one

of the wise! Now the King came upon him as he went a-hunting, and
found with him a most beautiful woman and a horse of the blackest

ebony- never saw I a handsomer. As for the damsel, she is with the
King, who is enamored of her and would fain marry her. But she is mad,

and were this man a leech, as he claimeth to be, he would have
healed her, for the King doth his utmost to discover a cure for her

case and a remedy for her disease, and this whole year past hath he
spent treasures upon physicians and astrologers on her account, but

none can avail to cure her. As for the horse, it is in the royal hoard
house, and the ugly man is here with us in prison, and as soon as

night falleth, he weepeth and bemoaneth himself and will not let us
sleep."

When the warders had recounted the case of the Persian egromancer
they held in prison and his weeping and wailing, the Prince at once

devised a devicewhereby he might compass his desire, and presently
the guards of the gate, being minded to sleep, led him into the jail

and locked the door. So he overheard the Persian weeping and bemoaning
himself in his own tongue, and saying: "Alack, and alas for my sin,

that I sinned against myself and against the King's son, in that which
I did with the damsel, for I neither left her nor won my will of

her! All this cometh of my lack of sense, in that I sought for
myself that which I deserved not and which befitted not the like of

me. For whoso seeketh what suiteth him not at all, falleth with the
like of my fall." Now when the King's son heard this, he accosted

him in Persian, saying: "How long will this weeping and wailing
last? Say me, thinkest thou that hath befallen thee that which never

befell other than thou?"
Now when the Persian heard this, he made friends with him and

began to complain to him of his case and misfortunes. And as soon as
the morning morrowed, the warders took the Prince and carried him

before their King, informing him that he had entered the city on the
previous night, at a time when audience was impossible. Quoth the King

to the Prince, "Whence comest thou, and what is thy name and trade,
and why hast thou traveled hither?" He replied: "As to my name, I am

called in Persian Harjah. As to my country, I come from the land of
Fars, and I am of the men of art and especially of the art of medicine

and healing the sick and those whom the Jinns drive mad. For this I go
round about all countries and cities, to profit by adding knowledge to

my knowledge, and whenever I see a patient I heal him, and this is
my craft." Now when the King heard this, he rejoiced with exceeding

joy and said, "O excellent sage, thou hast indeed come to us at a time
when we need thee." Then he acquainted him with the case of the

Princess, adding, "If thou cure her and recover her from her
madness, thou shalt have of me everything thou seekest." Replied the

Prince, "Allah save and favor the King. Describe to me all thou hast
seen of her insanity, and tell me how long it is since the access

attacked her, also how thou camest by her and the horse and the sage."
So the King told him the whole story, from first to last, adding,

"The sage is in jail." Quoth the Prince, "O auspicious King, and
what hast thou done with the horse?" Quoth the King, "O youth, it is

with me yet, laid up in one of my treasure chambers." Whereupon said
the Prince within himself: "The best thing I can do is first to see

the horse and assure myself of its condition. If it be whole and
sound, all will be well and end well. But if its motor works be

destroyed, I must find some other way of delivering my beloved."
Thereupon he turned to the King and said to him: "O King, I must see

the horse in question. Haply I may find in it somewhat that will serve
me for the recovery of the damsel." "With all my heart," replied the

King, and taking him by the hand, showed him into the place where
the horse was. The Prince went round about it, examining its

condition, and found it whole and sound, whereat he rejoiced greatly
and said to the King: "Allah save and exalt the King! I would fain

go in to the damsel, that I may see how it is with her, for I hope
in Allah to heal her by my healing hand through means of the horse."

Then he bade them take care of the horse and the King carried him to
the Princess's apartment, where her lover found her wringing her hands

and writhing and beating herself against the ground, and tearing her
garments to tatters as was her wont. But there was no madness of

Jinn in her, and she did this but that none might approach her.
When the Prince saw her thus, he said to her, "No harm shall

betide thee, O ravishment of the Three Worlds," and went on to
soothe her and speak her fair, till he managed to whisper, "I am Kamar

al-Akmar," whereupon she cried out with a loud cry and fell down
fainting for excess of joy. But the King thought this was epilepsy

brought on by her fear of him, and by her suddenly being startled.
Then the Prince put his mouth to her ear and said to her: "O Shams

al-Nahar, O seduction of the universe, have a care for thy life and
mine and be patient and constant; for this our position needeth

sufferance and skillfulcontrivance to make shift for our delivery
from this tyrannical King. My first move will be now to go out to

him and tell him that thou art possessed of a Jinn and hence thy
madness, but that I will engage to heal thee and drive away the evil

spirit if he will at once unbind thy bonds. So when he cometh in to
thee, do thou speak him smooth words, that he may think I have cured

thee, and all will be done for us as we desire." Quoth she,
"Hearkening and obedience," and he went out to the King in joy and

gladness, and said to him: "O august King, I have, by thy good
fortune, discovered her disease and its remedy, and have cured her for

thee. So now do thou go in to and speak her softly and treat her
kindly, and promise her what thou desirest of her be accomplished to

thee."
Thereupon the King went in to her, and when she saw him, she rose

and kissing the ground before him, bade him welcome and said, "I
admire how thou hast come to visit thy handmaid this day." Whereat

he was ready to fly for joy and bade the waiting women and the eunuchs
attend her and carry her to the hammam and make ready for her

dresses and adornment. So they went in to her and saluted her, and she
returned their salaams with the goodliest language and after the

pleasantest fashion. Whereupon they clad her in royal apparel and,
clasping a collar of jewels about her neck, carried her to the bath

and served her there. Then they brought her forth as she were the full
moon, and when she came into the King's presence, she saluted him

and kissed ground before him. Whereupon he joyed in her with joy
exceeding and said to the Prince: "O Sage, O Philosopher, all this

is of thy blessing. Allah increase to us the benefit of thy healing
breath!" The Prince replied: "O King, for the completion of her cure

it behooveth that thou go forth, thou and all thy troops and guards,
to the place where thou foundest her, not forgetting the beast of

black wood which was with her. For therein is a devil, and unless I
exorcise him, he will return to her and afflict her at the head of

every month." "With love and gladness," cried the King, "O thou Prince