eared behind some rising ground, and with all his search he
could not find any further trace of it. He was now drenched in sweat,
and he breathed with pain; and his horse's tongue hung from its mouth
with thirst. He dismounted and toiled on, with bridle on arm, praying
and casting himself on the mercy of heaven. Then his horse fell and
surrendered its life to God. On and on he went across the sandy waste,
weeping and with burning breast, till at length a hill rose into
sight. He mustered his strength and climbed to the top, and there he
found a giant tree whose foot kept firm the wrinkled earth, and whose
crest touched the very heaven. Its branches had put forth a glory of
leaves, and there were grass and a spring underneath it, and flowers
of many colours.

Gladdened by this sight, he dragged himself to the water's edge, drank
his fill, and returned thanks for his deliverance from thirst.

He looked about him and, to his amazement, saw close by a royal seat.
While he was pondering what could have brought this into the merciless
desert, a man drew near who was dressed like a faqir, and had bare
head and feet, but walked with the free carriage of a person of rank.
His face was kind, and wise and thoughtful, and he came on and spoke
to the prince.

'O good youth! how did you come here? Who are you? Where do you come
from?'

The prince told everything just as it had happened to him, and then
respectfully added: 'I have made known my own circumstances to you,
and now I venture to beg you to tell me your own. Who are you? How did
you come to make your dwelling in this wilderness?'

To this the faqir replied: 'O youth! it would be best for you to have
nothing to do with me and to know nothing of my fortunes, for my story
is fit neither for telling nor for hearing.' The prince, however,
pleaded so hard to be told, that at last there was nothing to be
done but to let him hear.

[Illustration: THE DEER ELUDES PRINCE TAHMASP]

'Learn and know, O young man! that I am King Janangir[4] of Babylon,
and that once I had army and servants, family and treasure; untold
wealth and belongings. The Most High God gave me seven sons who grew
up well versed in all princely arts. My eldest son heard from
travellers that in Turkistan, on the Chinese frontier, there is a king
named Quimus, the son of Timus, and that he has an only child, a
daughter named Mihr-afruz,[5] who, under all the azure heaven, is
unrivalled for beauty. Princes c