d like lightning up into the air, and was soon beyond the sight
even of the sharpest eyes. In a quarter of an hour the Indian was seen
returning, bearing in his hand the palm, and, guiding his horse to the
foot of the throne, he dismounted, and laid the leaf before the king.

Now the monarch had no sooner proved the astonishing speed of which the
horse was capable than he longed to possess it himself, and indeed, so
sure was he that the Indian would be quite ready to sell it, that he
looked upon it as his own already.

"I never guessed from his mere outside how valuable an animal he was,"
he remarked to the Indian, "and I am grateful to you for having shown
me my error," said he. "If you will sell it, name your own price."

"Sire," replied the Indian, "I never doubted that a sovereign so wise
and accomplished as your Highness would do justice to my horse, when he
once knew its power; and I even went so far as to think it probable
that you might wish to possess it. Greatly as I prize it, I will yield
it up to your Highness on one condition. The horse was not constructed
by me, but it was given me by the inventor, in exchange for my only
daughter, who made me take a solemn oath that I would never part with
it, except for some object of equal value."

"Name anything you like," cried the monarch, interrupting him. "My
kingdom is large, and filled with fair cities. You have only to choose
which you would prefer, to become its ruler to the end of your life."

"Sire," answered the Indian, to whom the proposal did not seem nearly
so generous as it appeared to the king, "I am most grateful to your
Highness for your princely offer, and beseech you not to be offended
with me if I say that I can only deliver up my horse in exchange for
the hand of the princess your daughter."

A shout of laughter burst from the courtiers as they heard these words,
and Prince Firouz Schah, the heir apparent, was filled with anger at
the Indian's presumption. The king, however, thought that it would not
cost him much to part from the princess in order to gain such a
delightful toy, and while he was hesitating as to his answer the prince
broke in.

"Sire," he said, "it is not possible that you can doubt for an instant
what reply you should give to such an insolent bargain. Consider what
you owe to yourself, and to the blood of your ancestors."

"My son," replied the king, "you speak nobly, but you do not realise
either the value of the