,
we honored him as long as he lived, and bowed as low to him as to Cadi
or Mufti.

* * * * *

The travellers determined to rest a day in this caravansery, in order
to refresh themselves and their beasts for the rest of their journey.
The gayety of the day before again prevailed, and they diverted
themselves with various sports. After the meal, however, they called
upon the fifth merchant, Ali Sizah, to perform his duty to the rest,
and give them a story. He answered, that his life was too poor in
remarkable adventures for him to relate one connected therewith, but
he would tell them something which had no relation to it: "The story
of the False Prince."

[Illustration]

THE FALSE PRINCE.

There was once an honest journeyman tailor, by name Labakan, who
learned his trade with an excellent master in Alexandria. It could not
be said that Labakan was unhandy with the needle; on the contrary, he
could make excellent work: moreover, one would have done him injustice
to have called him lazy. Nevertheless, his companions knew not what to
make of him, for he would often sew for hours together so rapidly
that the needle would glow in his hand, and the thread smoke, and that
none could equal him. At another time, however, (and this, alas!
happened more frequently,) he would sit in deep meditation, looking
with his staring eyes straight before him, and with a countenance and
air so peculiar, that his master and fellow-journeymen could say of
his appearance nothing else than, "Labakan has on again, his
aristocratic face."

On Friday, however, when others quietly returned home from prayers to
their labor, Labakan would come forth from the mosque in a fine
garment which with great pains he had made for himself, and walk with
slow and haughty steps through the squares and streets of the city. At
such times, if one of his companions cried, "Joy be with thee!" or,
"How goes it, friend Labakan?" he would patronizingly give a token of
recognition with his hand, or, if he felt called upon to be very
polite, would bow genteelly with the head. Whenever his master said to
him in jest, "Labakan, in thee a prince is lost," he would be
rejoiced, and answer, "Have you too observed it?" or, "I have already
long thought it."

In this manner did the honest journeyman tailor conduct himself for a
long time, while his master tolerated his folly, because, in other
respects, he was a good man and an exce