d the castle of crystal. The
islands of Wac were seven in number, peopled by Satans and Marids, and
warlocks and tribesmen of the Jinn. To reach them Hasan has to
traverse the island of birds, the land of beasts, and the valley of
Jinn. Without the aid of the princesses, their uncle Abdul-cuddous,
Abourruweish, Dehnesh ben Fectesh, Hassoun, king of the land of
Camphor, and the old woman Shawahi, he never would have reached his
destination. This, however, he finally does, and with the aid of a
magic cup and wand recovers his wife and children, and returns with
them to Baghdad, where they live happily ever afterwards, till there
came to them the Creditor whose debt must always be paid sooner or
later, the Destroyer of delights, and the Severer of societies.

Ali Nur Al-din and Miriam the Girdle-Girl (called by Payne, the Frank
King's Daughter).--The adventures of Ali with Miriam, whom he first
buys as a slave-girl in Alexandria, and from whom he is separated and
re-united, again separated and again united, are told at some length.
But the principal features in this tale are the innumerable verses in
praise of various fruits, flowers, wine, women, musical instruments,
the beauty of the hero, etc., and on the subjects of love, union,
separation, etc. Miriam herself is a charming character of
self-reliance and independence. On her first appearance in the slave
market, at the time of her sale, she declines to be purchased by the
old men, and abuses their age and their infirmities. Indeed, she
seemed to be of the same opinion as our great national poet, who
wrote:

'Crabbed age and youth
Cannot live together;
Youth is full of plaisance,
Age is full of care;
Youth like summer morn,
Age like winter weather;
Youth like summer brave,
Age like winter bare.
Youth is full of sport,
Age's breath is short,
Youth is nimble, age is lame;
Youth is hot and bold,
Age is weak and cold,
Youth is wild and age is tame.
Age, I do abhor thee;
Youth, I do adore thee;
O my love, my love is young;
Age, I do defy thee,
O sweet shepherd, hie thee,
For methinks thou stay'st too long'.

However, she finally consents to be bought by the young and
good-looking Ali, who spends his last thousand dinars in her purchase,
and then has nothing to live upon. Miriam remedies this by making every
night a beautiful girdle, which Ali sells for