ceremony was to
take place. He reached the palace of the sovereign, announced that he
had matters of importance to communicate to him, and craved an
audience. He was told that the Prince was engaged in preparing for the
wedding. "That is the very reason," said he, "why I wish to speak to
him." In short, he was so urgent that he was admitted.

"My lord," said he, "may heaven crown your days with glory and
magnificence! Your son-in-law is a rascal."

"A rascal! How dare you say so? Is that the way to speak to a Prince
of Cashmere of the son-in-law he has chosen?"

"Yes, a rascal," said Rustem. "And to prove it to your Highness, here
is your diamond, which I have brought back to you."

The Prince, in much amazement, compared the two diamonds and, as he
knew nothing about gems, he could not tell which was the true one.

"Here are two diamonds," said he, "but I have only one daughter. I am
in a strange dilemma!"

Then he sent for Barbabou, and asked him whether he had not deceived
him. Barbabou swore that he had bought the diamond of an Armenian.
Rustem did not say from whom he had got his, but he proposed, as a
solution, that his Highness should allow him and his rival to fight in
single combat on the spot.

"It is not enough that your son-in-law should possess a diamond," said
he, "he ought also to show proof of valour. Do you not think it fair
that the one who kills the other should marry the Princess?"

"Very good," said the Prince; "it will be a fine show for all the
court. You two shall fight it out at once. The conqueror shall have
the armour of the conquered man, after the custom of Cashmere: and he
shall marry the Princess."

The rivals immediately descended to the palace court. On the stairs
they saw a magpie and a raven. The raven cried; "Fight it out, fight
it out!" the magpie, "Do not fight!" This made the Prince laugh. The
rivals scarcely noticed the two birds.

The combat began. All the courtiers stood round them in a circle. The
Princess still shut herself up in her tower, and would see nothing of
it. She had no suspicion that her lover could be in Cashmere, and she
had such a horror of Barbabou that she would not look on. The fight
went off as well as possible. Barbabou was left stone dead, and the
populace were delighted, for he was ugly and Rustem very handsome--a
fact which always turns the scale of public favour.

The conqueror put on the dead man's coat of mail, his scarf and his
helmet,