were unequalled by those of all the princesses of the age.  This discourse excited his curiosity to behold so lovely a creature.  He repaired to his master, saying, “My lord, I understand that the sultan hath a most beautiful daughter, and my soul longs ardently for an opportunity of beholding her, if only for an instant.”  The sage exclaimed, “What have such as we to do, my son, with the daughters of sovereigns or of others?  We are a secluded order, and should refrain ourselves from associating with the great ones of this world.”  The old man continued to warn his pupil against the vanities of the age, and to divert him from his purpose; but the more he advised and remonstrated, the more intent the youth became on his object, which affected his mind so much, that he grew very uneasy, and was continually weeping.

The sage observing his distress was afflicted at it, and at length said to the youth, “Will one look at the princess satisfy thy wishes?” “It shall,” replied the pupil.  The sage then anointed one of his eyes with a sort of ointment; when lo! he became to appearance as a man divided into half, and the sage ordered him to go and hop about the city.  The youth obeyed his commands, but he had no sooner got into the street than he was surrounded by a crowd of passengers, who gazed with astonishment at his appearance.  The report of so strange a phenomenon as a half man soon spread throughout the city, and reached the palace of the sultan, who sent for the supposed monster to the presence.  The youth was conveyed to the palace, where the whole court gazed upon him with wonder; after which he was taken into the haram, to gratify the curiosity of the women.  He beheld the princess, and was fascinated by the brilliancy of her charms, insomuch, that he said to himself, “If I cannot wed her, I will put myself to death.”

The youth being at length dismissed from the palace, returned home; his heart tortured with love for the daughter of the sultan.  On his arrival, the sage inquired if he had seen the princess.  “I have,” replied the youth, “but one look is not enough, and I cannot rest until I shall sit beside her, and feast my eyes till they are wearied with gazing upon her.”  “Alas! my son,” exclaimed the old man, “I fear for thy safety:  we are religious men, and should avoid temptations; nor does it become us to have any thing to do with the sultan.”  To this the youth replied, “My lord, unless I shall sit beside her, and touch her neck with my hands, I shall, through despair, put myself to death.”

At these words, the sage was alarmed for the safety of his pupil, and said to himself, “I will, if possible, preserve this amiable youth, and perchance Allah may gratify his wishes.”  He then anointed both his eyes with an ointment, which had the effect of rendering him invisible to human sight.  After this, he said, “Go, my son, and gratify thy wishes, but return again, and be not too long absent from thy duty.”