e in the kind
fairy was so great that he felt sure she would not permit him to fall
again into the clutches of the unscrupulous Kalum-Bek. To one side,
about three miles distant from the city, and close to the river, he
noticed a magnificent country house, and, to his astonishment, the fish
seemed to be making directly towards this house.

Upon the roof of the house stood a group of handsomely dressed men, and
on the bank of the river Said saw a large crowd of servants, who were
looking at him in wonder. The dolphin stopped at some marble steps that
led up to the house, and hardly had Said put foot on the steps when the
dolphin disappeared. A number of servants now ran down the steps, and
requested him in the name of their master to come up to the house, at
the same time offering him a suit of dry clothes. Said dressed himself
quickly, and followed the servants to the roof, where he found three
men, of whom the tallest and handsomest came forward to meet him in a
pleasant manner.

"Who are you, wonderful stranger," said he, "you who tame the fishes of
the sea, and guide them to the right and left, as the best horseman
governs his steed. Are you a sorcerer, or a being like us?"

"Sir," replied Said, "things have gone very badly with me for the last
few weeks; but if it will please you to hear me, I will relate my
story."

Then he told the three men all of his adventures, from the moment of
leaving his father's house up to his wonderful rescue from the sea. He
was often interrupted by their expressions of astonishment; and when he
had ended, the master of the house, who had received him in so kind a
manner, said: "I trust your words, Said; but you tell us that you won a
medal in the tournament, and that the caliph gave you a ring; can you
show them to us?"

"I have preserved them both upon my heart," said the youth, "and would
sooner have parted with my life than with these precious gifts, for I
esteem it my most valiant and meritorious deed that I freed the caliph
from the hands of his would-be murderers." So saying, he drew from his
bosom the medal and ring, and handed them to the men.

"By the beard of the Prophet! It is he! It is my ring!" cried the tall,
handsome man. "Grand vizier, let us embrace him, for here stands our
savior." To Said it was like a dream. The two men embraced him, and
Said, prostrating himself, said:

"Pardon me, Ruler of the Faithful, that I have spoken so freely before
you, for you can