head he wore a broad-brimmed hat of woven palm-leaves like that of a Malabar fisherman, and all his remaining habit was a strip of matting girded around his waist.  Now this Shaykh was a Darwaysh who for many years had fled the world and all worldly pleasures; who lived a holy life of poverty and chastity and other-worldliness whereby his semblance had become such as I, O auspicious King, have described to thee.  From early dawn that day Prince Bahman had been watchful and vigilant, ever looking on all sides to descry some one who could supply him with information touching the whereabouts of the rarities he sought; and this was the first human being he had sighted on that stage, the twentieth and last of his journey.  So he rode up to him, being assured that the Shaykh must be the wight of whom the holy woman had spoken.  Then Prince Bahman dismounting and making low obeisance to the Darwaysh, said, “I my father, Allah Almighty prolong thy years and grant thee all thy wishes!” Whereto the Fakir made answer but in accents so indistinct that the Prince could not distinguish a single word he said; and presently Bahman understood that his moustache was on such wise closed and concealed his mouth that his utterance became indistinct and he only muttered when he would have spoken.  He therefore haltered his horse to a tree and pulling out a pair of scissors said, “O holy man, thy lips are wholly hidden by this overlong hair; suffer me, I pray thee, clip the bristling growth which overspreadeth thy face and which is so long and thick that thou art fearsome to behold; nay, more like to a bear than to a human being.”  The Darwaysh with a nod consented, and when the Prince had clipped it and trimmed the growth, his face once more looked young and fresh as that of a man in the prime of youth.  Presently quoth Bahman to him, “Would Heaven that I had a mirror wherein to show thee thy face, so wouldst thou see how youthful thou seemest, and how thy favour hath become far more like that of folk than whilom it was.”  These flattering words pleased the Darwaysh who smiling said, “I thank thee much for this thy goodly service and kindly offices; and, if in return, I can do aught of favour for thee, I pray thee let me know, and I will attempt to satisfy thee in all things with my very heart and soul.”  Then said the Prince, “O holy man, I have come hither from far distant lands along a toilsome road in quest of three things; to wit, a certain Speaking-Bird, a Singing-Tree and a Golden-Water; and this know I for certain that they are all to be found hard by this site.”—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

      The end of the Six Hundred and Seventy-Fifth Night.