“Oh heavens!” he exclaimed, “what indignity!  What horror!  Can the wife of a sovereign be capable of such infamous conduct?  After this, let no prince boast of being perfectly happy.  Alas! my brother,” continued he, embracing the king of Tartery, “let us both renounce the world, honour is banished out of it; if it flatter us one day, it betrays us the next.  Let us abandon our dominions, and go into foreign countries, where we may lead an obscure life, and conceal our misfortunes.”  Shaw-zummaun did not at all approve of this plan, but did not think fit to contradict Shierear in the heat of his passion.  “Dear brother,” he replied, “your will shall be mine.  I am ready to follow you whithersoever you please:  but promise me that you will return, if we meet with any one more unhappy than ourselves.”  “To this I agree,” said the sultan, “but doubt much whether we shall.”  “I am not of your opinion in this,” replied the king of Tartary; “I fancy our journey will be but short.”  Having thus resolved, they went secretly out of the palace.  They travelled as long as day-light continued; and lay the first night under trees.  They arose about break of day, went on till they came to a fine meadow on the seashore, that was be-sprinkled with large trees They sat down under one of them to rest and refresh themselves, and the chief subject of their conversation was the infidelity or their wives.

They had not rested long, before they heard a frightful noise from the sea, and a terrible cry, which filled them with fear.  The sea then opened, and there arose something like a great black column, which reached almost to the clouds.  This redoubled their terror, made them rise with haste, and climb up into a tree m bide themselves.  They had scarcely got up, when looking to the place from whence the noise proceeded, and where the sea had opened, they observed that the black column advanced, winding about towards the:  shore, cleaving the water before it.  They could not at first think what this could mean, but in a little time they found that it was one of those malignant genies that are mortal enemies to mankind, and are always doing them mischief.  He was black and frightful, had the shape of a giant, of a prodigious stature, and carried on his head a large glass box, fastened with four locks of fine steel.  He entered the meadow with his burden, which he laid down just at the foot of the tree where the two princes were concealed, who gave themselves over as lost.  The genie sat down by his box, and opening it with four keys that he had at his girdle, there came out a lady magnificently appareled, of a majestic stature, and perfect beauty.  The monster made her sit down by him, and eyeing her with an amorous look, said, “Lady, nay, most accomplished of all ladies who are admired for their beauty, my charming mistress, whom I carried off on your wedding-day, and have loved so constantly ever since, let me sleep a few moments by you; for I found myself so very drowsy that I came to this place to take a little rest.”  Having spoken thus, he laid down his huge head upon the lady’s knees, and stretching out his legs, which reached as far as the sea, he fell asleep presently, and snored so loud that he made the shores echo.