joyful and full of hope, and before noon he arrived at his
father's at Bagdad.

The following morning Ibrahim said to Ali, "I am rejoiced, my son, that
you have begun to compose yourself. There is no better remedy against
melancholy thoughts than amusement. I intend taking a journey to
Samarcand in a few days, and doubt not that it will be very
advantageous to us. I have already received my goods from a port on
the Red Sea, and expect to barter them profitably for the precious
things of Upper Asia. My advantage is yours; therefore go too, it will
cheer you and assist me."

Ali, recollecting what the fairy had told him, looked upon his father's
proposal as a presage of his happiness; and soon Ibrahim and his son
departed from Bagdad, with a large number of slaves and heavily laden
camels. Not far from the city they fell in with another caravan, and
now hastened, as quickly as circumstances permitted, through many
remarkable countries and cities of the far-famed Samarcand.

During their journey they were often obliged to cross deserts and
trackless steppes, where Ibrahim, never having made this journey
before, trusted himself to a guide. After having thus travelled for
several months, and stopped at different places, they one evening
passed through a desert. The guide, a little deformed man, with a red
nose, assured them that this would be the last, and promised that
within three days they would reach their destination.

As they now passed through a narrow valley, bounded on either side by
lofty rocks, and thickly overgrown with pine trees, a most terrible
phenomenon presented itself, that dispersed the whole caravan. A
thunder-storm came on, and the lightning struck a mighty cedar, the
resinous bark of which immediately ignited. The whole tree was
instantly in a blaze, and the crackling fire spread on every side; all
the pine, fir, larch, and cedar trees were in one blaze. The lurid
tongues of the flames rushed fearfully along the mountain ridge in the
dark night. A thick smoke arose and darkened the air beyond. In the
universal confusion, where each only thought of saving himself, Ibrahim
lost sight of his son. Ali anxiously searched for his father but
without success. Throughout the awful night he rode about on his camel
until it would no longer carry him. Terrified at the fire, it at
length threw him off and rushed into the flames. Ali forced his way
boldly through a narrow pass in the rocks, whic