unbridled him and suffered him to browse upon the grasses and greenery together with the Khwajah’s cattle.  Hereat the two sat down together in talk while the slaves slaughtered a lamb and flayed it, then, having lighted a fire, they set the meat thereupon in a chauldron and when it was cooked they fished it out with a flesh-hook and scored it[FN#528] and placed it in a mighty platter which they served up to their lord and the King’s son.  Both ate of it after the measure of their sufficiency and the remnants were borne off by the slaves for their suppers.  And when the time for night-prayers came, the two having made the Wuz£-ablution performed the orisons obligatory upon them, and anon sat down for evening converse, overtalking the tidings of the world and its affairs, until quoth the Merchant to the Prince, “O Youth, whence comest thou and whither art thou wending?” Quoth the other, “Wall hi, O Khwajah, I have a wondrous tale, nay a marvel of marvels which, were it graved with needle-gravers upon the eye-corners were a warning to whoso would be warned.  And this it is, I am the King’s son of Al-Irak and my sire’s prop and stay in the House of the World, and he reared me with the fairest of rearing; but when I had grown to man’s estate and had learnt the mysteries of venerie I longed one chance day of the days to ride forth hunting and birding.  So I went for a horse (as was my wont) to the stables, where I found yon stallion which is with me chained to four posts; whereupon of my ignorance, unknowing that none could approach him save myself nor any avail to mount him, I went up to him and girthed him, and he neither started nor moved at my gentling of him, for this was existing in the purpose of Almighty Allah.  Then I mounted him and sought my suite without informing my sire and rode forth the city with all my many, when suddenly the horse snorted with his nostrils and neighed through his throttle and buckjumped in air and bolted for the wilderness swift as bird in firmament-plain, nor wist I whither he was intending.[FN#529] He ceased not running away with me the whole day till eventide when we reached a lake in a grassy mead.” (Now when the Khwajah heard the words of the Prince his heart was heartened and presently the other pursued), “So I took seat and ate somewhat of my vivers, my horse also feeding upon his fodder, and we nighted in that spot and next morning I set out and stinted not riding for a march of four months.  But on the first of the fifth I neared a towering mountain whose length and whose breadth had no bounds, and on its flanks I found leasows manifold with trees and fruits and streams besprent and birds hymning the One, the Omnipotent.  So I was gladdened by the sight and dismounted and unbridled my steed whom I allowed to browse the while I ate of the fruits, and presently I fell to roaming about from site to site.  And when some time had passed I came to the mouth of a cavern whence after a short delay on my part fared forth slave-girls under the escort of a negro