Mazin then recited his adventures from the time the fire-worshipper who had stolen him from his mother by his stratagems, the mode of his coming to the palace of the seven ladies, the manner in which he obtained his wife, her flight from the palace of the empress Zobeide, his journey to the islands of Waak al Waak, also the dangers and difficulties he had encountered from first to last.  The caliph was astonished, and said, “The substance of these adventures must not be lost or concealed, but shall be recorded in writing.”  He then commanded an amanuensis to attend, and seated Mazin of Bussorah by him, until he had taken down his adventures from beginning to end.

STORY OF THE SULTAN, THE DERVISH, AND THE BARBER’S SON.

In the capital of a sultan named Rammaud lived a barber, who had a son growing up to manhood, possessing great accomplishments of mind and person, and whose wit and humour drew numerous customers to his shop.  One day a venerable dervish entering it, sat down, and calling for a looking glass, adjusted his beard and whiskers, at the same time asking many questions of the young man; after which he laid down a sherif, rose up, and departed.  The next day he came again, and for several days following, always finishing his visit by leaving a piece of gold upon the looking-glass, to the great satisfaction of the barber, who from his other customers never usually received more than sonic coppers of little value; but though he liked the gold, his suspicions were raised against the generous donor, supposing him to be a necromancer, who had some evil design against his son, whom, therefore, he cautioned to be upon his guard.  The visits of the dervish were continued as usual for some time; when one day he found the barber’s son alone in the shop, and was informed that his father had gone to divert himself with viewing some experiments which the sultan was making of the mixture of various metals, being an adept in chemistry, and eager in search of the philosopher’s stone.  The dervish now invited the young man to accompany him to the spot where the experiments were making, and on their arrival they saw a vast furnace, into which the sultan and his attendants cast pieces of metal of various sorts.  The dervish having taken a lump of ore from his wallet threw it into the furnace; then addressing the young barber, said, “I must for the present bid you farewell, as I have a journey to take; but if the sultan should inquire after me, let him know I am to be found in a certain city, and will attend his summons.”  Having said this, the dervish presented the barber’s son with a purse of gold, took his leave, and the youth returned home.  Great was the surprise of the sultan, when the metals in the furnace were all melted, to find them converted into a mass of solid gold, which proved, on assay, to be of the purest quality.  Every one was questioned as to what he had cast into the furnace, when there