to him, “O dear my child, it delighteth me exceedingly to see thy virtue and valour and the filial love wherewith thou art fulfilled, good gifts chiefly shown by obtaining for me the two rarities I asked of thee.  And now one other and final requirement I have of thee; and, shouldst thou avail to satisfy my desire, I shall be wellpleased in my beloved son and render thanks to him for the rest of my days.”  Prince Ahmad answered, “What is the boon thou requirest?  I will for my part do thy bidding as far as in me lieth.”  Then quoth the King in reply to the Prince, “I would fain have thee bring me a man of size and stature no more than three feet high, with beard full twenty ells in length, who beareth on his shoulder a quarter staff of steel, thirteen score pounds in weight, which he wieldeth with ease and swingeth around his head without wrinkle on brow, even as men wield cudgels of wood.”  On this wise the Sultan, led astray by the Doom of Destiny and heedless alike of good and evil, asked that which should bring surest destruction upon himself.  Prince Ahmad also, with blind obedience out of pure affection to his parent, was ready to supply him with all he required unknowing what was prepared for him in the Secret Purpose.  Accordingly he said, “O my sire the Sultan, I trow me ’twill be hard to find, all the world over, a man such as thou desirest, still I will work my best to do thy bidding.”  Thereupon the Prince retired from the presence and returned, as usual, to his palace where he greeted Peri-Banu with love and gladness; but his face was troubled and his heart was heavy at the thought of the King’s last behest.  Perceiving his pre-occupation the Princess asked him, saying, “O dear my lord, what tidings bringest thou for me to-day?” Hereto replied he, “The Sultan at each visit requireth of me some new thing and burtheneth me with his requests; and to-day he purposeth to try me and, in the hopes of putting me to shame, he asketh somewhat which ’twere vain to hope I can find in all the world.”  Thereupon Prince Ahmad told her all the King had said to him.—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

       The end of the Six Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night.

Then said she:—­I have heard, O auspicious King, that Peri-Banu hearing these words said to the Prince, “Trouble not thyself at all in this matter.  Thou didst venture at great risk to carry off for thy father water from the Lions’ Spring and thou succeededst in winning thy wish.  Now this task is on no wise more difficult or dangerous than was that:  nay ’tis the easier for that he thou describest is none other than Shabbar, my brothergerman.  Although we both have the same parents, yet it pleased Almighty Allah to enform us in different figures and to make him unlike his sister as being in mortal mould can be.  Moreover he is valiant and adventurous, always seeking some geste and exploit whereby to further my interest, and right willingly doth he carry out whatso he undertaketh.