“Daughter,” answered the queen, “you surprise me; I do not understand your meaning.”  The princess now forgot all respect for the queen; “Madam,” replied she, “the king my father and you have persecuted me about marrying, when I had no inclination; I now have an inclination, and I will have this young man I told you of for my husband, or I will destroy myself.”

The queen endeavoured to calm the princess by conciliatory language:  “Daughter,” said she, “you know well you are guarded in this apartment, how then could any man come to you?” But instead of attending to her, the princess interrupted her, by such extravagancies as obliged the queen to leave her, and retire in great affliction, to inform the king of all that had passed.

When the king had heard the account, he wished likewise to be satisfied in person, and coming to his daughter’s apartment, asked her, if what he had been told was true?  “Sir,” replied the princess, “let us talk no more of that; I only beseech your majesty to grant me the favour, that I may marry the young man I lay with last night.”

“What! daughter,” said the king, “has any one lain with you last night?” “How, sir,” replied the princess, without giving him time to go on, “do you ask me if any one lay with me last night?  Your majesty knows that but too well.  He was the most beautiful youth the sun ever saw:  I ask him of you for my husband; I entreat you do not refuse me.  But that your majesty may not longer doubt whether I have seen this young man, whether he has lain with me, whether I have caressed him, or whether I did not my utmost to awake him without succeeding, see, if you please, this ring.”  She then reached forth her hand, and shewed the king a man’s ring on her finger.  The king was perplexed what to think.  He had confined his daughter as mad, he began now to think her more insane than ever.  Without saying any thing more to her, lest she might do violence to herself or somebody about her, he had her chained, and confined more closely than before, allowing her only the nurse to wait on her, with a good guard at the door.

The king, exceedingly concerned at this indisposition of his daughter, sought all possible means to effect her cure.  He assembled his council, and after having acquainted them with her condition “If any of you,” said he, “is capable of undertaking to restore her to health, and succeed, I will give her to him in marriage, and make him heir to my dominions.”

The desire of obtaining a handsome young princess, and the hopes of one day governing so great a kingdom as that of China, had a powerful effect on an emir, already advanced in years, who was present at this council.  As he was well skilled in magic, he offered the king to recover his daughter, and flattered himself with success.  “I consent to the trial,” said the king; “but I forgot to tell you one condition, and that is, that if you do not succeed, you shall lose your head.  It would not be reasonable you should have so great a reward, and yet run no risk:  and what I say to you,” continued the king, “I say to all others who shall come after you, that they may consider beforehand what they undertake.”