steady in your respective stations; if I live, then the duration of
the journey will be short; I will soon be back. No one seemed pleased
at the idea of my going; in my helplessness, my heart continued to
become more and more sorrowful. One day, without consulting any one,
I privately sent for the resourceful _wazir_, and made him regent
and plenipotentiary [during my absence], and placed him at the head
of the affairs of the empire. I then put on the ochre-coloured habit
[of a pilgrim], and, assuming the appearance of a _fakir_, I took the
road to _Basra_ alone. In a few days, I reached its boundaries, and
[constantly] began to witness this scene; wherever I halted for the
night, the servants of the princess advanced to receive me, and made me
halt at some elegant house, and they used to provide me in perfection
with all the requisites of a banquet, and to remain in attendance on
me all night with the utmost respect. The following day, at the next
stage, I experienced the same reception. In this comfort I journeyed
onwards for months; at last I entered [the city of] _Basra_. I had
no sooner entered it, than a good-looking young man, well dressed,
and well-behaved, who carried wisdom in his looks, came up to me, and
said with extreme sweetness of address, "I am the servant of pilgrims;
I am always on the look out to conduct to my house all travellers,
whether pilgrims or men of the world, who come to this city; except
my house alone, there is no other place here for a stranger to put
up at; pray, holy sir, come with me, bestow honour on my abode,
and render me exalted.

I asked him, "what is the noble name of your honour?" He replied,
"they call the name of this nameless one _Bedar Bakht_." Seeing his
good qualities and affable manners, I went along with him and came to
his house. I saw a grand mansion fitted up in a princely style--he
led me to a grand apartment, and made me sit down; and sending for