THE HISTORY OF PRINCE AMGIAD AND PRINCE ASSAD. 337

 

ordered Assad to be brought into her apartment, where she Lade him
sit down and tell her all the events of his life. Supper being now served,
the queen made Prince Assad sit down at table with her. ‘Prince,’ said
she, ‘we must make you amends for so many fasts and wretched meals,
to which the pitiless adorers of fire made you submit; you must want
nourishment after such sufferings.’ With conversation of this kind she
helped him at supper; and ordered him to drink a good deal of wine to
recover his spirits, by which means he drank more than he could well
bear. The cloth being taken away, Assad, when the queen did not
observe him, descended into the court, and seeing the garden-door open,
went into it. Being tempted by the pleasantness of the place, he walked
there for some time. At last’he came to a fountain, where he washed
his face and hands to refresh himself, and lying down on the turf by the
fountain, fell asleep.

Behram, to prevent the queen from executing her threats, had
weighed anchor. As soon as he was towed out of the port by the
help of his boat, before it was hoisted up into the ship again, ‘ Stop, my
lads,’ said he to the seamen, ‘do not come on board yet; I will give
you some casks to fill with water, and wait for you. Go and land
before the palace-garden; the wall is not above breast-high ; you may
easily get over; there is a basin in the middle of the garden, where you
may fill all your barrels, and hand them aboard without difficulty.’ The
sailors went ashore at the place he directed them to, and laying their
casks on their shoulders, easily got over the wall.

As they approached the basin, they perceived Assad sleeping on the
srass. They immediately divided themselves; and while some of the
erew filled their barrels with as little noise as possible, others sur-
rounded Assad, and watched to seize him if he shouldawake. He slept
on undisturbed, giving them time to fill all their casks, which they
afterwards handed over the wall to others of the crew who waited to
carry them abroad. They next seized Assad, and conveyed him away,
without giving him time to recollect himself. They got him over the
wall into their boat with the casks, and rowed to the ship. When
they drew near her they cried out for joy, ‘Captain, sound your
trumpets, beat your drums; we have brought you your slave.’ Behram,
who could not imagine how the seaman could find and take him
again, could not contain himself for joy. He commanded him to be
chained; and having hoisted the boat on board, set sail for the fiery
mountain.

Tn the meanwhile, Queen Margiana was so impatient and alarmed at
the absence of Prince Assad, that she went herself to look for him, and
finding the garden-door open, entered, and walked all over it with her
women seeking for him. Passing by the fountain and basin, she espied
a slipper, which she took up, and knew it to be Prince Assad’s; this
circumstance, together with the water being spilt about the edge of the
basin, induced her to believe that Behram had carried him off. She
immediately sent word to the commander of ten ships of war, wate lay

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