Receiving these written orders, the divs were dispatched in all directions.  A great warmth of friendship arose between the two kings, and they passed their time in amicable conversation, amidst which Malik Shah Bal, turning round to the Darweshes, said, “I had a great wish to have children, and had resolved, if God gave me a son or a daughter, to marry it to the offspring of some king of the human race.  After this resolve, I learned that my wife was pregnant; at last, after counting with anxiety each day and hour, the full period arrived, and this girl was born.  According to my determination, I ordered the jinns to search the four corners of the world, and that whatever king had a prince born to him, to bring the child quickly to me with care; agreeably to my orders, the jinns flew instantly to the four corners of the earth, and after some delay, brought this young prince to me.

“I thanked God, and took the child in my lap, and loved it dearer than my own daughter; I could not bring myself to separate him from my sight for a moment, but used to send him back for this reason, that if his parents did not see him, they would be greatly afflicted.  For this reason I sent for him once every month, and after keeping him with me a few days, I sent him back.  If it please God the Most High, now that we have met, I will marry them to each other; all are liable to death, then let us, whilst we are alive, see their marriage performed.”

The king Azad Bakht, on hearing this proposal of Shah Bal’s, and seeing his amiable qualities, was greatly pleased and said, “At first the prince’s disappearance and re-appearance raised very strange aprehensions in my breast, but I am now, from your conversation, easy in my mind, and perfectly satisfied; this son is now yours; do with him whatever you please.”  In short, the intercourse between the two kings was like that of sugar and milk, and they fully enjoyed themselves.  In the space of less than ten days, mighty kings of the race of the jinns, from the rose garden of Iram, [404] and from mountains and islands, (to call whom the fairies had been dispatched) all arrived at the court [of Shah Bal].  In the first place, Maliki Sadik was ordered to produce the human creature he had in his possession; he was much vexed at it, and sad, but having no remedy, he produced the rosy-cheeked fair one [the blind man’s daughter].  Next, he demanded of the king of ’Umman [405] the daughter of one of the jinns for whom the prince of Nimroz, the bull rider, went mad; he likewise made many excuses, but produced her at last.  When the daughter of the king of the Franks and Bihzad Khan were demanded, all present denied having any knowledge of them, and swore by Solomon [to that effect].