from this endeavour.”  Prince Parwez having pondered these words, presently made reply, “O Darwaysh, I thank thee again and again and am much beholden to thee that thou art fain of my welfare and thou hast given me the kindest of counsel and the friendliest of advice; nor am I worthy of such favours bestowed upon a stranger.  But now remaineth naught for me to beseech that thou wilt point out the path, for I am fully purposed to fare forwards and in no wise to desist from my endeavour.  I pray thee favour me with full instructions for the road even as thou favouredst my brother.”  Then said the Darwaysh, “An thou wilt not lend ear to my warnings and do as I desire thee, it mattereth to me neither mickle nor little.  Choose for thyself and I by doom of Destiny must perforce forward thy attempt and albeit, by reason of my great age and infirmities, I may not conduct thee to the place I will not grudge thee a guide.”  Then Prince Parwez mounted his horse and the Darwaysh taking one of many balls from out his scrip placed it in the youth’s hands, directing him the while what to do, as he had counselled his brother Bahman; and, after giving him much advice and many warnings he ended with saying, “O my lord, have a heed not to be perplexed and terrified by the threatening Voices[FN#363], and sounds from unseen beings, which shall strike thine ear; but advance dauntless to the hill-top where thou shalt find the cage with the Speaking-Bird and the Singing-Tree and the Golden-Water.”  The Fakir then bid him adieu with words of good omen and the Prince set forth.  He threw the ball upon the ground before him and, as it rolled up the path, he urged his horse to keep pace with it.  But when he reached the hill-foot and saw that the ball had stopped and lay still, he dismounted forthright and paused awhile ere he should begin to climb and conned well in his mind the directions, one and all, given to him by the Darwaysh.  Then, with firm courage and fast resolve, he set out afoot to reach the hill-top.  But hardly had he begun to climb before he heard a voice beside him threatening him in churlish tongue and crying, “O youth of ill-omen, stand still that I may trounce thee for this thine insolence.”  Hearing these insulting words of the Invisible Speaker, Prince Parwez felt his blood boil over; he could not refrain his rage and in his passion he clean forgot the words of wisdom wherewith the Fakir was warned him.  He seized his sword and drawing it from the scabbard, turned about to slay the man who durst insult him in such wise; but he saw no one and, in the act of looking back both he and his horse became black stones.  Meanwhile the Princess ceased not at all hours of the day and watches of the night to consult the string of pearls which Parwez had left her; she counted them overnight when she retired to rest, she slept with them around her neck during the hours of darkness, and when she awoke at the dawn of day she first of all consulted them and noted their condition.  Now at the very hour when her second brother was turned to stone she found the pearls sticking one to other so close together that she might not move a single bead apart from its fellows and she knew thereby that Prince Parwez also was lost to her for ever.—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till