other, “Learn thou, O Habib, that Allah hath sent me theewards.”  “And, say me, what may be thy name?” “I am hight Al-’Abbus,[FN#394] the Knight of the Grim Face.”  “I see thee only smiling of countenance whilst thy name clean contradicteth thy nature;” quoth the youth.  Presently the Emir Salamah committed his son to the new governor saying, “I would thou make me this youth the Brave of his epoch;” whereto the knight replied, “To hear is to obey, first Allah then thyself and to do suit and service of thy son Habib.”  And when this was determined youth and governor went forth to the Maydan every day and after a while of delay Habib became the best man of his age in fight and fray.  Seeing this his teacher addressed him as follows.  “Learn, O Sultan Habib, that there is no help but thou witness perils and affrights and adventures, wherefor is weak the description of describers and thou shalt say in thyself, ’Would heaven I had never sighted such and I were of these same free.’  And thou shalt fall into every hardship and horror until thou be united with the beautiful Durrat al-Ghawwas, Queen-regnant over the Isles of the Sea.  Meanwhile to affront all the perils of the path thou shalt fare forth from thy folk and bid adieu to thy tribe and patrial stead; and, after enduring that which amateth man’s wit, thou shalt win union with the daughter of Queen Kamar al-Zaman."[FN#395] But when Habib heard these words concerning the “Pearl of the Diver” his wits were wildered and his senses were agitated and he cried to Al-Abbus, “I conjure thee by Allah say me, is this damsel of mankind or of Jinn-kind.”  Quoth the other, “Of Jinn-kind, and she hath two Wazirs, one of either race, who overrule all her rulers, and a thousand islands of the Isles of the Sea are subject to her command, while a host of Sayyids and Sharifs[FN#396] and Grandees hath flocked to woo her, bringing wealthy gifts and noble presents, yet hath not any of them won his wish of her but all returned baffled and baulked of their will.”  Now the Sultan Habib hearing this from him cried in excess of perturbation and stress of confusion, “Up with us and hie we home where we may take seat and talk over such troublous matter and debate anent its past and its future.”  “Hearkening and obedience,” rejoined the other; so the twain retired into privacy in order to converse at ease concerning the Princess, and Al-Abbus began to relate in these words—­

The History of Durrat al-Ghawwas.

Whilome there was a Sovran amongst the Kings of the Sea, hight Sabur, who reigned over the Crystalline Isles,[FN#397] and he was a mighty ruler and a generous, and a masterful potentate and a glorious.  He loved women and he was at trouble to seek out the fairest damsels; yet many of his years had gone by nor yet had he been blessed with boon of boy.  So one day of the days he took thought and said in himself, “To this length of years I have attained and am well nigh at life’s end and still am I childless:  what then will be my case?”