then, to set him upon a camel and, after parading him through Cairo city and all the streets, to put him to death.  Accordingly the executioner took the Youth.—­And Shahrazad perceived 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 enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Linkman took the youth and fared forth with him from the palace:  then he looked at him and found him fair of form and favour, a sans peer in loveliness, and he observed that he showed no fear nor shrinking from death.  So he had pity upon him and his heart yearned to him and he said in his mind, “By Allah, attached to this young man is a rare history.”  Then he brought a leathern gown which he put upon him, and the flamey black habit which he passed over his arms:  and setting him upon a camel as the Sultan had commanded, at last carried him in procession crying out the while, “This is the award and the least award of him who violateth the Harem of the King;” and he threaded the streets till they came to the square before the great Mosque wherein was the Shaykh.  Now as all the folk were enjoying the spectacle, the Sage looked out from the window of his cell and beheld the condition of his scholar.  He was moved to ruth and reciting a spell he summoned the Jann and bade them snatch the young man off the camel’s back with all care and kindness and bring him to his cell; and he also commanded an ’Aun of the ’Auns[FN#122] to seize some oldster and set him upon the beast in lieu of the Youth.  They did as he bid them for that he had taken fealty of the Jann and because of his profound studies in the Notaricon[FN#123] and every branch of the art magical.  And when all the crowd saw the youth suddenly transformed into a grey-beard they were awe-stricken and cried, “Alhamdolillah—­laud to the Lord—­the young man hath become an old man!” They then looked again and behold, they saw a person well-known amongst the lieges, one who had long been wont to sell greens and colocasia at the hostelry gate near the Cathedral-mosque.  Now the headsman noting this case was confounded with sore affright; so he returned to the palace with the oldster seated on the camel and went in to the Sultan followed by all the city-folk who were gazing at the spectacle.  Then he stood before the King and the eunuchry and did homage and prayed for the Sovran