over from breaking upon me."

"No," answered the royal beast, "she has commanded me to follow you
till I see her presence; and where can I better sacrifice my life than
in the service of chastity and virtue?"

The hunters were now in sight, but advanced not towards the lion; they
turned their coursers aside, and only one of superior mien, with
several attendants, rode towards Urad.

The lion erecting his mane, his eyes glowing with vivid lightnings,
drew up the wide sinews of his broad back, and with wrathful front
leaped towards him who seemed to have the command.

The horseman, perceiving his intention, poised his spear in his right
hand, and spurred his courser to meet him.

Ere the royal beast had reached the horseman, the rider threw his
spear, which, entering between the fore-paws of the lion, nailed him
to the ground. The enraged animal tore his paw from the ground; but
the spear still remained in his foot, and the anguish of the wound
made him shake the whole forest with his lordly roarings.

The stranger then rode up to the fair Urad, whom viewing, he cried
out, "By Allah! thou art worthy of the seraglio of the Vizier
Mussapulta: take her, my eunuchs, behind you, and bear her through the
forest of Bagdad, to the home of my ancestors."

The eunuchs obeyed, and bore her away, though Urad dropped her corn
upon the ground; but still she trusted in the help of Houadir.

The Vizier Mussapulta then ordered that one of his slaves should stay
behind, and destroy and bury the lion; which he commanded to be done
with the utmost caution, as Almurah had made a decree that if any
subjects should wound, maim, or destroy any lion in his forests, the
same should be put to death.

The eunuchs bore away Urad to the seraglio, taking her through by-ways
to the palace of the Vizier, lest her shrieks should be heard.
Mussapulta followed at a distance, and the slave was left with the
tortured and faithful lion.

In a few hours they reached the palace, and Urad, being conducted to
the seraglio, was ordered to be dressed, as the Vizier intended
visiting her.

Urad was thunderstruck at the news, and now began to fear Houadir had
forgotten her, and resolved, as soon as the eunuchs had left her, to
drop a second peppercorn. But poor Urad had forgotten to take her bag
from her old garments, which the women who dressed her had carried
away. She dissolved in fresh tears at this piece of carelessness.

"Well," said she, "surely