THE ENCHANTED HORSE, 439

me; I entreat you, however, not to be displeased at my temerity,
in venturing to tell you that I cannot deliver my horse into your
possession except on receiving the hand of the princess, your
daughter, as my wife.”

The courtiers who surrounded the king burst into a violent
it of laughter at this extravagant request of the Indian. But
Prince Firouz Schah, the eldest son of the king, and heir to the
crown, heard it with the utmost indignation.

He therefore determined to interfere, and addressing the king,
“Sire,” said he, “ your majesty will pardon me if I take the
liberty of asking you if it be possible that you can hesitate a
moment on the absolute refusal you ought to make to so insolent
a request from a man whom no one knows—from an ignominious
mountebank.” ;

“My son,” replied the king of Persia, “I receive your remon-
strance in good part, but you do not sufficiently consider the
wondrous excellence of this horse; and that the Indian who
proposes to me this method of obtaining it, may, if 1 refuse him,
go to some other court, make the same proposition, and have it
accepted. But petore we go further, I wish you to examine the
horse, and make trial of him yourself, that you may give me
your opinion of him.”

The Indian consented with pleasure to this tral, and went
towards the prince with the horse, and assisted him to mount,
and afterwards instructed him in what he was to do to govern it
properly.

The prince with great agility mounted the horse immediately
without the assistance of the Indian ; he secured each foot in the
stirrup, and without waiting for any farther directions, he turned
the peg which he had observed the Indian do just before when
he mounted. The very instant he had turned it, the horse rose
with him with the swiftness of an arrow shot by the strongest
archer, and in a few moments the king, as well as all the
numerous assemblage of people who were present, lost sight of
him.

Neither the horse nor Prince Firouz Schah appeared again,
and the king of Persia strained his eyes to descry him in the air,
but all in vain, when the Indian, alarmed at the consequences
that might ensue, prostrated himself at the foot of the throne
and then proceeded to speak in these words:-—‘ Your majesty