his pace until he came to a coffee-house, which he entered; and there he took him a lodging and used to lie the night, and to rise amorn.  Now one day of the days behold, he met a man who was leading about a dog and a cat and a mouse[FN#385] and crying them for sale at the price of ten faddahs; so the youth said in his mind, “Let me buy these at their cheap price;” and he called aloud to the man and having given him the ten silverlings took away his purchase.  After this he would fare every day to the slaughter-house and would buy for them a bit of tripe or liver and feed them therewith, but ever and anon he would sit down and ponder the loss of the Ring and bespeak himself and say, “Would Heaven I wot that which Allah Almighty hath done with my Ring and my Palace and my bride the Sultan’s daughter!” Now the dog and the cat and the mouse heard him, and one day of the days as, according to his custom, he took them with him and led them to the slaughter-house and bought a meal of entrails and gave somewhat to each that it might eat thereof, he sat down in sad thought and groaned aloud and sorrow prevailed upon him till he was overcome by sleep.  The season was the mid-forenoon[FN#386] and the while he slumbered and was drowned in drowsiness, the Dog said to the Cat and the Mouse, “O brethren mine, in very deed this youth, who hath bought us for ten faddahs, leadeth us every day to this stead and giveth us our rations of food.  But he hath lost his Ring and the Palace wherein was his bride, the daughter of the Sultan; so let us up and fare forth and seek therefore and do ye twain mount upon my back so that we can overwander the seas and the island-skirts.”  They did as he bade them and he walked down with them to the waters and swam with them until they found themselves amiddlemost the main; nor did he cease swimming with them for about a day and a night until the morning morrowed and they saw from afar a somewhat that glittered.  So they made for it till they drew near, when they saw that it was the Palace in question, whereat the Dog continued swimming till such time as he came ashore and dismounted the Cat and the Mouse.  Then he said to them, “Let us abide here.”—­And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say.  Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Four Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,