after giving him a good beating tied a rope round him and ducked him in
the well till the unfortunate man cried out that he would tell
everything. Then the prince drew him up all dripping wet, but the
slave begged leave to change his clothes first, and as soon as the
prince consented hurried off just as he was to the palace. Here he
found the king talking to the grand-vizir of all the anxiety his son
had caused him. The slave was admitted at once and cried:

"Alas, Sire! I bring sad news to your Majesty. There can be no doubt
that the prince has completely lost his senses. He declares that he
saw a lady sleeping on his couch last night, and the state you see me
in proves how violent contradiction makes him." He then gave a minute
account of all the prince had said and done.

The king, much moved, begged the vizir to examine into this new
misfortune, and the latter at once went to the tower, where he found
the prince quietly reading a book. After the first exchange of
greetings the vizir said:

"I feel really very angry with your slave for alarming his Majesty by
the news he brought him."

"What news?" asked the prince.

"Ah!" replied the vizir, "something absurd, I feel sure, seeing how I
find you."

"Most likely," said the prince; "but now that you are here I am glad of
the opportunity to ask you where is the lady who slept in this room
last night?"

The grand-vizir felt beside himself at this question.

"Prince!" he exclaimed, "how would it be possible for any man, much
less a woman, to enter this room at night without walking over your
slave on the threshold? Pray consider the matter, and you will realise
that you have been deeply impressed by some dream."

But the prince angrily insisted on knowing who and where the lady was,
and was not to be persuaded by all the vizir's protestations to the
contrary that the plot had not been one of his making. At last, losing
patience, he seized the vizir by the beard and loaded him with blows.

"Stop, Prince," cried the unhappy vizir, "stay and hear what I have to
say."

The prince, whose arm was getting tired, paused.

"I confess, Prince," said the vizir, "that there is some foundation for
what you say. But you know well that a minister has to carry out his
master's orders. Allow me to go and to take to the king any message
you may choose to send."

"Very well," said the prince; "then go and tell him that I consent to
marry the lady whom he sent or