immediately presented him with what was necessary to recover his
strength; and although King Beder was very anxious to know why he
had taken the precaution to make him enter the shop, the old man
nevertheless would not tell him anything till he had done eating,
for fear the sad things he had to relate might take away his
appetite. At last he said to him, 'You have great reason to thank
God you got hither without any misfortune.'

'Alas! why?' replied king Beder, very much surprised and alarmed.

'Because,' answered he, 'this city is called the City of
Enchantments, and is governed not by a king, but by a queen, who is
a notorious and dangerous sorceress. You will be convinced of
this,' added he, 'when you know that these horses, mules, and other
animals that you have seen are so many men, like you and me, whom
she has transformed by her diabolical art. And when young men like
you enter the city, she has persons stationed to stop and bring
them, either by fair means or force, before her. She receives them
in the most obliging manner; she caresses them, regales them, and
lodges them magnificently. But she does not suffer them long to
enjoy this happiness. There is not one of them whom she has not
transformed into some animal or bird at the end of forty days. You
told me all these animals opposed your landing and entering, the
city. This was the only way they could make you comprehend the
danger you were going to expose yourself to, and they did all in
their power to save you.'

This account exceedingly afflicted the young King of Persia.
'Alas!' cried he, 'to what extremities has my ill-fortune reduced
me! I am hardly freed from one enchantment, which I look back upon