Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/187

163 in his heart; but presently he stopped and said in himself; ‘If he of whom I am in quest be come to the like [of the condition] of yonder sleeping youth, by whom I passed but now, how shall I know him? Alas, the length of my travail and weariness! How shall I go about in quest of a wight whom I know not and whom, if I saw him face to face, I should not know?’

Then he turned back, pondering upon that sleeping youth, and coming to him, as he slept, lighted down from his horse and sat down by him. He fixed his eyes upon his face and considered him awhile and said in himself, ‘For aught I know, this youth may be Melik Shah.’ And he fell a-hemming and saying, ‘Harkye, O youth!’ Whereupon the sleeper awoke and sat up; and the eunuch said to him, ‘Who is thy father in this village and where is thy dwelling?’ The youth sighed and answered, ‘I am a stranger;’ and the eunuch said, ‘From what land art thou and who is thy father?’ Quoth the other, ‘I am from such a land,’ and the eunuch ceased not to question him and he to answer him, till he was certified of him and knew him. So he rose and embraced him and kissed him and wept over his case. Moreover, he told him that he was going about in quest of him and informed him that he was come privily from the king his mother’s husband and that his mother would be content [to know] that he was alive and well, though she saw him not.

Then he re-entered the village and buying the prince a horse, mounted him thereon and they ceased not going, till they came to the frontier of their own country, where