tasteful is thy tale, 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 King suffer me to
survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was,

The Four Hundred and Thirty-eighth 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 three
Kings desired, one and all of them, to depart and return to their
countries and their capitals; and their son-in-law presented them
with gifts and rarities, whereupon they blessed him and went
their ways. After this the young Prince, who had become Sovran
and Sultan, took seat upon the throne of his realm and by the
reign he was obeyed and the servants of Allah for him prayed.
Presently on a day of the days he inclined to the hunt and the
chase, so he went off with his suite till they found themselves
in the middle of the wildest of wolds where the ruler came upon
an underground cavern. He proposed to enter therein, when his
followers prevented him and behold, a man came to him from the
desert showing the signs of wayfare and carrying a somewhat of
water and victual and his garments were all threadbare. The King
enquired of him saying, "Whence hast thou come and wither art
thou going?" and the other replied, "We be three in this antre
who have fled our country; and whenever we require aught of meat
and drink, one of us fareth forth to fetch what will suffice us