to meet her and show her thy royal dignity and troops and
guards." Answered the King, "With joy and gladness"; and
straightaway bade decorate the town with the goodliest adornment.
Then he took horse and rode out in all magnificence and majesty,
he and his host, high officers and household, with drums and
kettle-drums, fifes and clarions and all manner instruments;
whilst the Prince drew forth of his treasuries jewellery and
apparel and what else of the things which Kings hoards and made a
rare display of wealth and splendour: moreover he got ready for
the Princess a canopied litter of brocades, green, red and
yellow, wherein he set Indian and Greek and Abyssinian slave-
girls. Then he left the litter and those who were therein and
preceded them to the pavilion where he had set her down; and
searched but found naught, neither Princess nor horse. When he
saw this, he beat his face, and rent his raiment and began to
wander round about the garden, as he had lost his wits; after
which he came to his senses and said to himself, "How could she
have come at the secret of this horse, seeing I told her nothing
of it? Maybe the Persian sage who made the horse hath chanced
upon her and stolen her away, in revenge for my father's
treatment of him." Then he sought the guardians of the garden and
asked them if they had seen any pass the precincts; and said,
"Hath any one come in here? Tell me the truth and the whole truth
or I will at once strike off your heads." They were terrified by
his threats; but they answered with one voice, "We have seen no
man enter save the Persian sage, who came to gather healing
herbs." So the Prince was certified that it was indeed he that
had taken away the maiden,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.