in the first place send a courier with friendly letters to King
Quimus, and will ask the hand of his daughter for you. I will
send an abundance of gifts, and a string of camels laden with
flashing stones and rubies of Badakhsham In this way I will bring
her and her suite, and I will give her to you to be your solace.
But if King Quimus is unwilling to give her to you, I will pour a
whirlwind of soldiers upon him, and I will bring to you, in this
way, that most consequential of girls.' But the prince said that
this plan would not be right, and that he would go himself, and
would answer the riddle. Then the king's wise men said: 'This is
a very weighty matter; it would be best to allow the prince to
set out accompanied by some persons in whom you have confidence.
Maybe he will repent and come back.' So King Saman ordered all
preparations for the journey to be made, and then Prince Tahmasp
took his leave and set out, accompanied by some of the courtiers,
and taking with him a string of two-humped and raven-eyed camels
laden with jewels, and gold, and costly stuffs.

By stage after stage, and after many days' journeying, he arrived
at the city of King Quimus. What did he see? A towering citadel
whose foot kept firm the wrinkled earth, and whose battlements
touched the blue heaven. He saw hanging from its battlements
many heads, but it had not the least effect upon him that these
were heads of men of rank; he listened to no advice about laying
aside his fancy, but rode up to the gate and on into the heart of
the city. The place was so splendid that the eyes of the ages
have never seen its like, and there, in an open square, he found
a tent of crimson satin set up, and beneath it two jewelled drums
with jewelled sticks. These drums were put there so that the
suitors of the princess might announce their arrival by beating