e became again as beautiful as she had
ever been before. The king embraced her, and seated her on the throne
with her children by her side. Then he ordered the good fisherman to
be fetched, and created him chief of the Ministry of Fishing; and the
queen's faithful attendant, who had saved her mistress's life, he
pensioned off, and created a duchess, and he distributed many other
gifts and benefits to celebrate the most joyful occasion of his life.

_The Two Genies_

Every one in the province of Candahar knows the adventures of young
Rustem. He was the only son of a Mirza of that country--or as we might
say, a lord. His father, the Mirza, had a good estate. Rustem was to
be married to the daughter of a Mirza of his own rank, as both
families ardently desired. He was intended to be the comfort of his
parents, to make his wife happy, and to be happy with her.

But, unfortunately, he had seen the Princess of Cashmere at the great
fair at Cabul, which is the most important fair in the whole world.
And this was the reason why the old Prince of Cashmere had brought his
daughter to the fair: he had lost the two most precious objects in his
treasury; one was a diamond as big as my thumb, on which, by an art
then known to the Indians, but now forgotten, a portrait of his
daughter was engraved; the other was a javelin, which of its own
accord would strike whatever mark the owner wished.

A fakir in his Highness's train had stolen these treasures, and
carried them to the Princess. "Take the greatest care of these two
things," said he; "your fate depends upon them." Then he went away,
and was seen no more.

The Prince of Cashmere, in great despair at his loss, determined to
travel to the fair at Cabul, to see whether among all the merchants
who collected there from the four quarters of the earth, there might
not be one who had his diamond or his weapon. He took his daughter
with him wherever he went, and unknown to him she carried the diamond
safe in her girdle; but as for the javelin, which she could not
conveniently hide, she left it in Cashmere, safely locked up in a
large Chinese chest.

At Cabul she and Rustem saw each other, and they fell in love, with
all the ardour of their nation. As a love-token the Princess gave him
the diamond; and, at parting, Rustem promised to go to see her
secretly in Cashmere.

The young Mirza had two favourite attendants who served him as
secretaries, stewards and body-servants. On