honoured me with a visit: will your
Highness deign to accept of it as a slight testimonial of my loyal
regard?"

"Valiant Sheik," answered the young man, "I am rejoiced to see you
again, and receive with gratitude your noble gift; you could not have
given me anything more acceptable."

He then embraced the Sheik, and kissed the beautiful animal, who
seemed to recognize him.

They then began to descend; and the Prince, observing at the bottom of
the stairs quite a concourse of people, inquired of the Vizier who
they were.

"I know not," replied he; "I can see them, but the height is too great
for me to distinguish who they are."

In a little while they reached the end of the staircase, when the
new-comers proved to be the Emir, with a large retinue of his guards,
with music and banners.

"Azgid," said the Emir, "I am come to congratulate you on your good
fortune and happy deliverance. I have brought no present; that I
considered needless, since myself and all that I have are yours."

"Noble Emir," cried the youth, "I am rejoiced to see you--tell me, how
is Perizide? as soon as I have been crowned I intend to visit her with
the speed of lightning."

"There is no need of that," returned the other: "come with me;" and,
so saying, he led the young man to a splendid white steed, on which
sat a lady, covered with a long veil. The Emir lifted the veil, and
Azgid beheld the beautiful face of his beloved mistress.

Their meeting, as may be imagined, was most tender and affectionate;
and the Vizier, having ordered the music to strike up, the whole
procession moved toward the palace.

"How strange it seems!" said the Prince: "when I fled from my duty
everything went wrong with me; but now, after fulfilling it, good luck
meets me at every step."

Azgid was crowned the same day, and in the evening his nuptials with
the fair Perizide were celebrated; they lived long and happily; and
the Prince ordered the story of his life to be written in the annals
of the kingdom, and an inscription in gold letters to be placed over
the door of the palace, with these words: "_Never run from the
lion._"

[Illustration]

The City of the Demons

[Illustration]

In days of yore there lived in the flourishing city of Cairo a Hebrew
Rabbi, by name Jochonan, who was the most learned of his nation. His
fame went over the East, and the most distant people sent their young
men to imbibe wisdom from his lips. He was deeply skille