ernately. In the
morning he asked with uncommon curiosity whether nothing had happened
in the night, or whether no traveller had passed by from whom they
might learn the direction. But no one had gone by.

Low-spirited at not having any sure direction for his journey, he
struck his bosom, and said, "So are we borne away and removed from
good fortune." He had with the blow hit the pouch containing the
talisman which he had received from his master Modibjah, and which
till now he had quite forgotten. He pulled it out, opened the pouch,
and said, "Thou hast disclosed thyself in a good hour. Come, tell me
whether I shall do well if I proceed through the valley along the
river-side."

After he had considered it, he exclaimed joyfully, "Yes, yes; the
resolution is good; the fiery spark still shines living in the stone."
He immediately gave orders for departure, and the procession, rode out
into the valley. His slaves wondered that he who had been so uncertain
about the direction should now be so secure, and take so confident a
resolution. The journey was much more pleasant in the valley than it
had before been. The air from the stream was cooled, for a mild breeze
was always breathing through the valley; and they soon reached an
inhabited place, and learned that they were in the direct road to a
small town, in whose neighbourhood were situated the ruins of the old
royal city. Pleased as Jussuf was at this news, still it was rather
disagreeable, to him: he remembered that on the evening of his
adventure with the melon the moon was in full splendour, and he could
now calculate that he would arrive several days too early for the
first object of his journey. And what should he set about in that
small town till, on the third day after the new moon, he should find
his sign-post? However, he continued on his way by small day journeys.
At last he came to the little town in whose neighbourhood the ruins
were situated, and stopped at a caravanserai. Whilst his people
unloaded the camels and settled everything, he wandered idly through
the town to see something of it. In the course of his walk a young man
presented himself to him, who was willing to show him in passing the
few curiosities of the place. While they were conversing together they
made themselves known to each other; and Jussuf learned that the young
man's name was Hassan Assad, a man of whom his people had often spoken
to him in terms of commendation, and who had been ver