So Zein ul Asnam swore a solemn oath to him of this and said to him, “O my lord, indeed, thou honourest me with this service; but methinketh it will be hard to find a girl like this.  Nay, supposing I find a damsel fifteen years of age and beautiful exceedingly, according to Thy Grace’s requirement, how shall I know that she hath never in her time lusted after man nor hath man lusted after her?” “O Zein ul Asnam,” replied the King of the Jinn, “thou art in the right and certain it is that this knowledge is a thing unto which the sons of man may not avail; but I will give thee a mirror of my fashion, and when thou seest a girl and her beauty pleaseth thee and her grace, do thou open this mirror that I shall give thee, and if thou find her image therein clear and bright, thou shalt know forthright that she is pure without default and that all good qualities are in her; so do thou take her for me.  If thou find her image in the mirror other than this, to wit, an it be troubled and clothed with uncleanness, know that the girl is sullied and beware of her; but, an thou find one such as she whose qualities I have set out to thee, bring her to me and watch over her [by the way;] yet beware and again I say, beware of treason and bethink thee that, an thou keep not faith with me, thou wilt assuredly lose thy life.”

So Zein ul Asnam made with him a stable and abiding covenant, the covenant of the sons of kings, that he would keep the plighted faith and never play him false, but [FN#93] would bring him the damsel with all continence.  Then the King of the Jinn delivered him the mirror and said to him, “O my son, take this mirror whereof I bespoke thee, and now depart.”  Accordingly Zein ul Asnam and Mubarek arose and calling down blessings upon the King, returned upon their steps till they came to the lake, where they sat a little and behold, up came the boat which had brought them and the genie rowing therein, whose head was as [FN#94] the head of an elephant.  Now this was by the commandment of the King of the Jinn; so they embarked with the genie and crossed with him to the other shore; after which they returned to Cairo and entering Mubarek’s house, abode there awhile till they were rested from the fatigue of the journey.

Then Zein ul Asnam turned to Mubarek and said to him, “Come, let us go to the city of Baghdad, so we may seek for a girl who shall be according to the requirement of the King of the Jinn.”  And Mubarek said to him, “O my lord, we are in Cairo, the city of cities and the wonder of the world. [FN#95] I shall without fail find a girl here and it needeth not that we go to a far city.”  “Thou sayst sooth, O Mubarek,” rejoined the prince; “but how shall we set about the matter and how shall we do to come by [FN#96] a girl like this and who shall go seeking her for us?” “O my lord,” replied Mubarek, “concern not thyself [FN#97] for that, for I have with me here an old woman (upon her, [to speak] figuratively, [FN#98] be the