ith your friends, I bring you these fish."

Noureddin and the Persian said that when the fishes were properly
cooked and dressed they would gladly eat of them. The Caliph then
returned to the vizir, and they set to work in Scheih Ibrahim's house
to cook the fish, of which they made so tempting a dish that Noureddin
and the fair Persian ate of it with great relish. When they had
finished Noureddin took thirty gold pieces (all that remained of what
Sangiar had given him) and presented them to the Caliph, who, thanking
him, asked as a further favour if the lady would play him one piece on
the lute. The Persian gladly consented, and sang and played so as to
delight the Caliph.

Noureddin, in the habit of giving to others whatever they admired,
said, "Fisherman, as she pleases you so much, take her; she is yours."

The fair Persian, astounded that he should wish to part from her, took
her lute, and with tears in her eyes sang her reproaches to its music.

The Caliph (still in the character of fisherman) said to him, "Sir, I
perceive that this fair lady is your slave. Oblige me, I beg you, by
relating your history."

Noureddin willingly granted this request, and recounted everything from
the purchase of the slave down to the present moment.

"And where do you go now?" asked the Caliph.

"Wherever the hand of Allah leads me," said Noureddin.

"Then, if you will listen to me," said the Caliph, "you will
immediately return to Balsora. I will give you a letter to the king,
which will ensure you a good reception from him."

"It is an unheard-of thing," said Noureddin, "that a fisherman should
be in correspondence with a king."

"Let not that astonish you," answered the Caliph; "we studied together,
and have always remained the best of friends, though fortune, while
making him a king, left me a humble fisherman."

The Caliph then took a sheet of paper, and wrote the following letter,
at the top of which he put in very small characters this formula to
show that he must be implicitly obeyed:--"In the name of the Most
Merciful God.

"Letter of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid to the King of Balsora.

"Haroun-al-Raschid, son of Mahdi, sends this letter to Mohammed Zinebi,
his cousin. As soon as Noureddin, son of the Vizir Khacan, bearer of
this letter, has given it to thee, and thou hast read it, take off thy
royal mantle, put it on his shoulders, and seat him in thy place
without fail. Farewell."

The Caliph then g