Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/200

170 art of medicine and cure the sick and the mad. For this, I go round about all countries and cities, adding knowledge to my knowledge, and whenever I see a sick person, I heal him; and this is my craft.’ When the King heard this, he rejoiced exceedingly and said, ‘O excellent sage, thou hast come to us at a time when we have need of thee.’ Then he acquainted him with the case of the princess, adding, ‘If thou win to cure her and recover her of her madness, thou shalt have of me whatever thou seekest.’ ‘May God advance the King!’ rejoined the prince. ‘Describe to me all thou hast seen of her madness and tell me how long it is since it attacked her; also how thou camest by her.’ So the King told him the whole story, from first to last, adding, ‘The sage is in prison.’ ‘O august King,’ said the prince, ‘and what hast thou done with the horse?’ ‘It is with me yet, laid up in one of my treasure-chambers,’ replied the King; whereupon quoth the prince in himself, ‘The first thing to do is to see the horse and assure myself of its condition. If it be whole and unhurt, all will be well; but, if its works be destroyed, I must find some other way of delivering my beloved.’

So he turned to the King and said to him, ‘O King, I must see the horse in question: haply I may find in it somewhat that will serve me for the recovery of the damsel.’ ‘With all my heart,’ replied the King and taking him by the hand, led him to the place where the horse was. The prince went round about it, examining its condition, and found it whole and unhurt, whereat he rejoiced greatly and said to the King, ‘May God exalt the King! I would fain go in to the damsel, that I may see how it is with her; for I hope, by God’s grace, to cure her by means of the horse.’ Then he bade take care of the horse and the King carried him to the princess’s apartment, where he found her writhing and beating