white days and the thirty black nights.”  Hereat quoth she, “Tell me, what tree was it bore many a bough and manifold leaves which presently became flesh and blood?” He answered saying, “This was the Rod of Moses the Prophet (upon whom be The Peace!) which was at first a tree but which after cutting became a serpent with flesh and blood.”  Continued she, “Inform me what became of Moses’ Rod and Noah’s Ark, and where now be they?” He answered saying, “They are at this tide sunken in the Lake of Tabariyyah,[FN#206] and both, at the end of time, will be brought out by a man hight Al-Nasiri.[FN#207] She pursued, “Acquaint me with spun yarn, whence did it originate and who was it first practised spinning the same?” He answered, saying, “Almighty Allah from the beginning of mankind ordered the Archangel Gabriel to visit Eve and say to her, ’Spin for thyself and for Adam waistcloths wherewith ye may veil your persons.’"[FN#208] She enquired, “Tell me concerning the Asafir,[FN#209] and why they were so called, and who first named them with such name?” He answered saying, “There was in the days of the Moses the Prophet (upon whom be The Peace!) a fowl called Fir, and in the time of Solomon the King (upon whom be The Peace!) all the birds paid him obedience, even as did all the beasts, and albeit each and every created thing was subject to the Prophet, withal this Fir would not show submission:  so the Wise King sent a body of birds to bring him into the presence, but he refused to present himself.  Presently they returned to the Prophet who asked them, “Where be Fir?” and they answered, “O our lord, ’Asa Fir,’[FN#210] whence that name hath clung to the fowls.”  She resumed, “Inform me of the two Stationaries and the two Moveables and the two Conjoineds and the two Disjoineds by jealousy and the twain which be eternal Foes.”  He answered saying, “Now the two Stationaries be Heaven and Earth and the two Moveables are the Sun and the Moon; the two Conjoineds are Night and Day and the two Disjoineds by jealousy are the Soul and the Body and the two Hostiles are Death and Life."[FN#211] On this wise the Linguist-dame ceased not to question him and he to reply solving all her problems until eve closed in.  Then she bade him go forth that night and on the next day come again to her.  Accordingly, the young Prince returned to his Khan and no sooner had he made sure that the morn had morrowed than he resolved to see if that day would bring him aught better than had come to him before.  So arising betimes he made for the palace of the King’s daughter and was received and introduced by the Tarjumanah who seated him as was her wont and presently she began, saying, “My lady biddeth thee inform her of a thing which an a man do that same ’tis unlawful; and if a man do not that same ’tis also unlawful.”  He answered, saying, “I will:  this be the prayer[FN#212] of a drunken man which is in either case illegal.”  Quoth she, “Tell me how far is the interval between Heaven and Earth?”