question was the youngest daughter of the old King who had been
met by the Knight when out hunting, the same that owed all his
fair fortunes to her auspicious coming. Accordingly the father
was assured of having found the lost one and was delighted to
note her high degree; but after tarrying with her for a time he
asked permission of his son-in-law to set out in quest of her two
sisters and he supplicated Almighty Allah to reunite him with the
other twain as with this first one. Thereupon quoth the Sultan,
"It may not be save that I accompany thee, for otherwise haply
some mishap of the world may happen to thee." Then the three sat
down in council debating what they should do and in fine they
agreed to travel, taking with them some of the Lords of the land
and Chamberlains and Nabobs. They made ready and after three days
they marched out of the city,--And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister
mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is
this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night
an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next
night and that was

The Three Hundred and Eighty-second Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the old
King marched forth the city accompanied by his son-in-law and his