e and my soul! do not be sad. If you would like this woman
killed, I will put poison into her cup so that she will never lift her
head from her drugged sleep again.'

'O Dil-aram! such a vengeance is not manly. I shall not rest till I have
gone to Waq of the Caucasus and have cleared up the matter.' Then
they repeated the agreement about their marriage, and bade one another
goodbye.

The prince now went back to the village, and told the old man that he
was setting out on a long journey, and begged him not to be anxious, and
to keep safe the goods which had been entrusted to him.

The prince had not the least knowledge of the way to Waq of the
Caucasus, and was cast down by the sense of his helplessness. He was
walking along by his horse's side when there appeared before him an old
man of serene countenance, dressed in green and carrying a staff,
who resembled Khizr. [8] The prince thanked heaven, laid the hands of
reverence on his breast and salaamed. The old man returned the greeting
graciously, and asked: 'How fare you? Whither are you bound? You look
like a traveller.'

'O revered saint! I am in this difficulty: I do not know the way to Waq
of the Caucasus.' The old man of good counsel looked at the young prince
and said: 'Turn back from this dangerous undertaking. Do not go; choose
some other task! If you had a hundred lives you would not bring one out
safe from this journey.' But his words had no effect on the prince's
resolve. 'What object have you,' the old man asked, 'in thus consuming
your life?'

'I have an important piece of business to do, and only this journey
makes it possible. I must go; I pray you, ill God's name, tell me the
way.'

When the saint saw that the prince was not to be moved, he said:
'Learn and know, O youth! that Waq of Qaf is in the Caucasus and is a
dependency of it. In it there are jins, demons, and peris. You must go
on along this road till it forks into three; take neither the right hand
nor the left, but the middle path. Follow this for a day and a night.
Then you will come to a column on which is a marble slab inscribed with
Cufic characters. Do what is written there; beware of disobedience.'
Then he gave his good wishes for the journey and his blessing, and the
prince kissed his feet, said good-bye, and, with thanks to the Causer of
Causes, took the road.

After a day and a night he saw the column rise in silent beauty to the
heavens. Everything was as the wise old man had