cup, and when his head was hot with wine he took a lute from one
of the musicians and placed himself on the carpet border and sang
and sang till he witched away the sense of all who listened.
Applause and compliments rang from every side. The king filled
his cup and called the prince and gave it him and said: 'Name
your wish! it is yours.' The prince drained off the wine and
answered: 'O king of the world! learn and know that I have only
one aim in life, and this is to know what the rose did to the
cypress.'

'Never yet,' replied the king, 'has any man come out from that
question alive. If this is your only wish, so be it; I will tell
you. But I will do this on one condition only, namely, that when
you have heard you will submit yourself to death.' To this the
prince agreed, and said: ' I set my foot firmly on this compact.'

The king then gave an order to an attendant; a costly carpet
overlaid with European velvet was placed near him, and a dog was
led in by a golden and jewelled chain and set upon the splendid
stuffs. A band of fair girls came in and stood round it in
waiting.

Then, with ill words, twelve negroes dragged in a lovely woman,
fettered on hands and feet and meanly dressed, and they set her
down on the bare floor. She was extraordinarily beautiful, and
shamed the glorious sun. The king ordered a hundred stripes to
be laid on her tender body; she sighed a long sigh. Food was
called for and table-cloths were spread. Delicate meats were set
before the dog, and water given it in a royal cup of Chinese
crystal. When it had eaten its fill, its leavings were placed