innocent prince with her own hands in the
king's presence.'

"I said, 'Let us go, that I may see this scene even in my dying
moments.' They at last agreed [to my request], and the two soldiers
and myself, though wounded, went to the scene and stood in silence in
a retired corner. We saw the king seated on his throne; the princess
held in her hand a naked sword; the prince was taken out of the iron
cage, and made to stand before [the king]; the princess, becoming an
executioner, advanced with the naked sword to kill her lover. When
she drew near the prince, she threw away the sword and embraced
him. Then that lover said to her, 'I am willing to die thus; here,
indeed, I desire thee,--there, also, I shall wish for thee.' [374] The
princess said, 'I have come, under this pretext to behold thee.' The
king, on seeing this scene, became greatly enraged, and reproached the
_wazir_, and said, 'Hast thou brought me here to see this sight?' The
[princess's] confidential servant separated the princess from the
prince, and conducted her to the seraglio. The _wazir_ took up the
sword, and flew with rage at the prince to end with one blow his
unfortunate existence. As he lifted up his arm to strike, an arrow
from an unknown hand pierced his forehead, so that [his head] was
cleft in twain, and he fell down.

"The king, seeing this mysterious event, retired into his palace;
and they put the young prince again into the cage, and carried him
to the garden; I likewise came out from where I was. On the road,
a man called me and conducted me to the princess; seeing me severely
wounded, she sent for a surgeon, and enjoined him very strictly, 'cure
this young man quickly, and perform the ablution of recovery. Your
welfare depends on it; as much care and attention as you bestow on
him, so many presents and favours you will receive from me.' In short,
the surgeon used his skill and assiduity according to the princess's
injunctions, and at the end of forty days, having caused me to be
bathed and washed, he presented me to the princess. She asked me,
'Is there now anything else left to be done.' I replied, that through
her humanity I was quite recovered. The princess then gave me a
rich _khil'at_ and a large sum of money, as she had promised; yea,
she even gave me as much more, and then dismissed me.

"I took all my friends and servants with me, and set out from that
country [to return home]. When I reached this spot, I desired all of
them t