There was once in times gone by a King who had one son and none other; and, when the Prince grew up to man's estate, he contracted him in marriage to another King's daughter. Now the damsel was a model of beauty and grace and her uncle's son had sought her in wedlock of her sire, but she would none of him. So when he knew that she was to be married to another, envy and jealousy gat hold of him and he bethought himself and sent a noble present to the Wazir of the bridegroom's father and much treasure, desiring him to use craft for slaying the Prince or contrive to make him leave his intent of espousing the girl and adding, "O Wazir, indeed jealousy moves me to this, for she is my cousin." The Wazir accepted the present and sent an answer saying, "Be of good cheer and of eyes cool and clear, for I will do all that you wish." Presently, the bride's father wrote to the Prince, bidding him to his capital, that he might go in to his daughter; whereupon the King his father gave him leave to go on their way there, sending with him the bribed Wazir and a thousand horse, besides presents and litters, tents and pavilions. The Minister set out with the Prince, plotting the while in his heart to do him a mischief; and when they came into the desert, he called to mind a certain spring of running water in the mountains there, called Al-Zahrá, whereof whoever drank from a man became a woman.

So he called a halt of the troops near the fountain and presently mounting steed again, said to the Prince, "Have you a mind to go with me and look upon a spring of water near hand?" The Prince mounted, knowing not what should befall him in the future, and they rode on, unattended by any, and without stopping till they came to the spring. The Prince being thirsty said to the Wazir, "O Minister, I am suffering from drouth," and the other answered, "Get you down and drink of this spring!" So he alighted and washed his hands and drank, when behold, he At once became a woman. As soon as he knew what had befallen him, he cried out and wept till he fainted away, and the Wazir came up to him as if to learn what had befallen him and cried, "What ails you?" So he told him what had happened, and the Minister feigned to condole with him and weep for his affliction, saying, "Allah Almighty be your refuge in yours affliction! How came this calamity upon you and this great misfortune to happen you, and we carrying you with joy and gladness, that you might go in to the King's daughter? truly, now I know not whether we shall go to her or not; but the counsel is yours. What do you command me to do?" the Prince said, "Go back to my sire and tell him what has happened to me, for I will not stir hence till this matter be removed from me or I die in my regret."

So he wrote a letter to his father, telling him what had happened, and the Wazir took it and set out on his return to the city, leaving what troops he had with the Prince and inwardly exulting for the success of his plot. As soon as he reached the King's capital, he went in to him and, telling him what had passed, delivered the letter. The King mourned for his son with sore mourning and sent for the wise men and masters of esoteric science, that they might discover and explain to him this thing which had befallen his son, but none could give him an answer. Then the Wazir wrote to the lady's cousin, conveying to him the glad news of the Prince's misfortune, and he when he read the letter rejoiced with great joy and thought to marry the Princess and answered the Minister sending him rich presents and great store of treasure and thanking him exceedingly. Meanwhile, the Prince abode by the stream three days and three nights, eating not nor drinking and committing himself, in his strait, unto Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) who disappoints not whoever relies on him. On the fourth night, lo! there came to him a cavalier on a bright bay steed with a crown on his head, as he were of the sons of the Kings, and said to him, "Who brought you here, O youth?"

The Prince told him his mishap, how he was going to his wedding, and how the Wazir had led him to a spring whereof he drank and incurred what had occurred; and as he spoke his speech was broken by tears. Having heard him the horseman pitied his case and said, "It was your father's Wazir who cast you into this strait, for no man alive save he knows of this spring;" presently adding, "Mount you behind me and come with me to my dwelling, for you are my guest this night." "Acquaint me who you are before I fare with you," said the Prince; and the other said, "I am a King's son of the Jinn, as you a King's son of mankind; so be of good cheer and keep yours eyes clear of tear, for I will surely do away your cark and care; and this is a slight thing unto me." So the Prince mounted him behind the stranger, and they rode on, leaving the troops, from the first of the day till midnight, when the King's son of the Jinn asked the Prince, "Know you how many days' march we have covered in this time?" "Not I." "We have come a full year's journey for a diligent horseman."

The Prince marvelled at this and said, "How shall I do to return to my people?" "That is not yours affair, but my business. As soon as you are quit of your complaint, you will return to your people in less than the twinkling of an eye; for that is an easy matter to me." When the Prince heard these words he was ready to fly for excess of joy; it seemed to him as he were in the imbroglio of a dream and he exclaimed, "Glory be to Him who can restore the unhappy to happiness!"—

When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty third night

and the King's son rejoiced. They fared on all that night till the morning morrowed when lo! they found themselves in a green and smiling country, full of trees spireing and birds quiring and garths fruit growing and palaces high showing and waters a flowing and odoriferous flowers a blowing.

Here the King's son of the Jinn alighted from his steed and, bidding the Prince do the like, took him by the hand and carried him into one of the palaces, where he found a great King and powerful Sultan; and abode with him all that day eating and drinking, till nightfall. Then the King's son of the Jinn mounted his courser and taking the Prince up behind him, fared on swiftly through the murks and glooms until morning, when lo, they found themselves in a dark land and a desert, full of black rocks and stones, as it were a piece of Hell; and the Prince asked the Jinni, "What is the name of this land?" Answered the other, "It is called the Black Country, and belongs to one of the Kings of the Jinn, by name Zu'l Janáhayn, against whom none of the other Kings may prevail, neither may any enter his dominions save by his permit; so tarry you here, whilst I go ask leave." So saying, he went away and, returning after awhile, they fared on again, till they landed at a spring of water welling forth of a black rock, and the King's son of the Jinn said to the King's son of men, "Alight!"

He dismounted and the other cried, "Drink of this water!" So he drank of the spring without delay; and, no sooner had he done so than, by grace of Allah, he became a man as before. At this he joyed with exceeding joy and asked the Jinni, "O my brother, how is this spring called?" Answered the other, "It is called the Women's Spring, for that no woman drinks of it but she becomes a man. So praise Allah the Most High and thank Him for your restoration and mount." So the Prince prostrated himself in gratitude to the Almighty, after which he mounted again and they fared on diligently all that day, till they returned to the Jinni's home, where the Prince passed the night in all solace of life. They spent the next day in eating and drinking till nightfall, when the King's son of the Jinn asked the Prince, "Have you a mind to return to the people this very night?" "Yes," he answered; "for indeed I long for them." Then the Jinni called one of his father's slaves Rajiz, and said to him, "Take this young man mounted on your shoulders, and let not the day dawn before he be with his father in law and his wife."

Replied the slave, "I hear and I obey, and with love and gladness, and upon my head and eyes! Then, withdrawing awhile, reappeared in the form of an Ifrit When the Prince saw this, he lost his senses for affright, but the Jinni said to him, "Fear not; no harm shall befall you. Mount your horse and leap him on to the Ifrit's shoulders." "Nay," answered he, "I will leave my horse with you and bestride his shoulders myself." So he bestrode the Ifrit's shoulders and, when the Jinni cried, "Close yours eyes, O my lord, and be not a craven!" He strengthened his heart and shut his eyes. Thereupon the Ifrit rose with him into the air and did not stop to fly between sky and earth, whilst the Prince was unconscious, nor was the last third of the night come before he alighted down with him on the terrace roof of his father in law's palace. Then said the Ifrit, "Dismount and open yours eyes; for this is the palace of your father in law and his daughter." So he came down and the Ifrit flew away and left him on the roof of the palace. When the day broke and the Prince recovered from his troubles, I he descended into the palace and as his father in law caught sight of him, he came to meet him and marvelled to see him descend from the roof of the palace, saying, "We see folk enter by the doors; but you come from the skies." the Prince said, "Whatever Allah (may He be extolled and exalted!) wills that comes to pass."

And he told him all that had befallen him, from beginning to end, at which the King marvelled and rejoiced in his safety; and, as soon as the sun rose, bade his Wazir make ready splendid bride feasts. So did he and they held the marriage festival: after which the Prince went in unto his bride and abode with her two months, then departed with her for his father's capital. As for the damsel's cousin, he died directly of envy and jealousy. When the Prince and his bride drew near his father's city, the King came out to meet them with his troops and Wazirs, and so Allah (blessed and exalted be He!) enabled the Prince to prevail against his bride's cousin and his father's Minister. "And I pray the Almighty" (added the damsel) "to aid you against your Wazirs, O King, and I beseech you to do me justice on your son!" When the King heard this, he bade put his son to death,—

When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty fourth night

Now this was the fourth day, so the fourth Wazir entered and, kissing the ground before him, said, "Allah stablish and protect the King! O King, be deliberate in doing this you are resolved upon, for the wise man does nothing till he has considered the issue of it, and the proverb says, 'whoever looks not to his actions' end, has not the world to friend; and whoever acts without consideration, there befalls him what befell the Hammam keeper with his wife.'" "And what happened him?" asked the King. And the Wazir answered, "I have heard tell, O King, a tale of the