Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/252

236 of the Genii and went towards the lake. The boatman with the elephant's head brought the boat and ferried them over the lake as he had done before. They joined their servants and returned with them to Cairo.

The young sultan rested a few days at Mobarec's house and then said to him, "Let us go to Bagdad, to seek a maiden for the Sovereign of the Genii."

"Why, are we not at Grand Cairo?" said Mobarec. "Shall we not there find beautiful maidens?"

"You are in the right," answered the prince; "but how shall we learn where they are?"

"Do not trouble yourself about that," answered Mobarec. "I know a very shrewd old woman, whom I will intrust with the affair, and she will acquit herself well."

Accordingly, the old woman found means to show King Zeyn a considerable number of beautiful maidens of twenty years of age; but when he had viewed them, and came to consult his glass, it always appeared sullied. All the maidens in the court and city who were in their twentieth year underwent