276 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

the dress which the prince had on the preceding day, and dipped
it in the blood. When he returned to the prince, he threw it
into the middle of the road, where it divided.

The prince asked Marzavan what was his design by so doing.
“When the king, your father,” replied Marzavan, “ perceives
that you do not return to-night, as you promised, or learns from
the grooms that we set out without them while they were asleep,
he will undoubtedly send people out different ways, to search for
us. Those who come this way, and find this bloody vest, will
conclude that some beast of prey has devoured you, and that I
have made my escape, to avoid the king’s anger and resentment ;
he, thinking from their account that you are no longer in exist-
ence, will desist from his researches after us, and thus afford us
the opportunity of continuing our journey, without interruption
and the fear of being pursued. It is true that the stratagem is
a violent one, to occasion so tender a parent the afflicting alarm
of having lost a son whom he doatingly loves ; but the joy of
your father will be beyond all bounds when he shall again dis-
cover you to be alive and happy.” “Wise Marzavan,” cried
the prince, “I cannot but approve so ingenious an invention,
and feel additional obligations to you for having put it in execu-
tion.”

The prince and Marzavan, well supplied with valuable jewels
to defray their expenses, continued their travels by land and by
sea, and met with no other obstacle than the length of time
which necessarily must elapse before they could reach their
place of destination.

They at length arrived at the capital of China, where Marza-
van, instead of conducting the prince to his own house, made
him alight at a public khan, for the reception of travellers. They
remained there three days, to recover from the fatigue of the
journey ; and during this interval, Marzavan had an astrologer’s
dress made for the prince to disguise himself in. When the
three days were expired, they went together to the bath, where
Marzavan made the prince put on the astrologer’s dress; and
when they left the bath, he conducted him within sight of the
palace of the king of China, and there left him, to go and
acquaint his mother, the nurse of Princess Badoura, with his
arrival, that she might prepare the princess for the interview.

The prince, instructed by Marzavan in what he was to do,