When Assad had finished his discourse, the queen was more than ever enraged at the adorers of fire.  Prince, said she, though I have always had an aversion to the adorers of fire, yet hitherto I have preserved some humanity for them; but, after their barbarous usage, and execrable design of sacrificing you, I will henceforth declare perpetual war against them.

She would have said more, but supper being served up, hindered her.  She made prince Assad sit at table with her, being charmed with his beauty and eloquence, and touched with a most ardent passion, which she hoped soon to let him know.  Prince, said she, we must make you amends for so many fasts and wretched meals which the pitiless adorers of fire forced you to make; you will want to be nourished after such sufferings.  With these and such like words supper began; and the queen plied the prince with wine to recover his spirits; of which he drank more than he could well bear.

The cloth being taken away, Assad wishing to go out, watched his time when the queen did not see him.  He descended into a court, and, seeing the garden-door open, went in.  Being tempted by the pleasantness of the place, he walked there a while.  At last he came to a fountain, where he washed his face and hands to refresh himself; and, lying down on some grass plots which surrounded the fountain, fell asleep.

It was almost night, and Behram, fearing the queen would do as she threatened, had weighed anchor, and was under sail, mightily troubled at the loss of Assad, by which he was disappointed of a most acceptable sacrifice.  He comforted himself as well as he could with the thoughts that the storm was over, and that a land-breeze favoured his getting off from that coast.  He was towed out of the port, and, as he was hoisting more sail to hasten his course, he remembered he wanted some fresh water.  My lads, said he to the seamen, we must put to shore again, and fill our water-casks.  The sailors excused themselves, for they did not know where to get water.  Behram had observed, while he was talking to the queen in the garden, that there was a fountain at the end of it, near the port.  Go, said he, to such a place of the palace-garden.  The wall is not above breast high; you may easily get over.  There is a fountain, where you may fill all your barrels, and hand them on board without difficulty.

The sailors accordingly went on shore to the place he directed them, leaped over the wall, filled their barrels, and easily enough heaved them over also, when they returned to their boat.

As they were filling the casks, they perceived a man sleeping on the grass, and knew him to be Assad.  They immediately divided themselves; and, while some of the crew filled their barrels, others surrounded Assad, and observed him, lest he should awake, and offer to run away.

As soon as they had filled their casks, they handed them over the wall to others of their crew, who waited there to carry them on board.