After this let no prince boast of his being perfectly happy.
Alas! my brother, continues he, (embracing the king of Tartary,)
let us both renounce the world; honesty is banished out of it; if
it flatter us the one day, it betrays us the next; let us abandon
our dominions and grandeur; let us go into foreign countries,
where we may lead an obscure life, and conceal our misfortune.
Schahzenan did not at all approve of such a resolution, but did
not think fit to contradict Schahriar in the heat of his passion.
Dear brother, says he, your will shall be mine; I am ready to
follow you whither you please; but promise that you will return,
if we can meet with any one that is more unhappy than ourselves.
I agree to it, says the sultan, but doubt much whether we shall.
I am not of your mind in this, replied the king of Tartary; I
fancy our journey will be but short. Having said this, they went
secretly out of the palace by another way than they came. They
travelled as long as it was day, and lay the first night under
the trees; and getting up about break of day, they went on till
they came to a fine meadow upon the banks of the sea, in which
meadow there were tufts of great trees at some distance from one
another. They sat down under those trees to rest and refresh
themselves, and the chief subject of their conversation was the
lewdness of their wives.

They had not sat long, before they heard a frightful noise, and a
terrible cry from the sea, which filled them with fear; then the
sea opening, there rose up a thing like a great black column,
which reached almost to the clouds. This redoubled their fear,
made them rise speedily, and climb up into a tree to hide
themselves. They had scarce got up, till, looking to the place
from whence the voice came, and where the sea opened, they