person! O Chinese Venus! how shall I excuse myself for giving
you so much trouble? With what words can I thank you?' Then she
called for a clothes-wallet and chose out a royal dress of honour.
Her attendants dressed him in it, and brought him again before the
tender-hearted lady. She turned to him a hundred hearts, took his hand
and seated him beside her, and said: 'O youth! tell me truly who you are
and where you come from, and how you fell into the power of my sister.'

Even when he was a deer the prince had much admired Jamila now he
thought her a thousand times more lovely than before. He judged that in
truth alone was safety, and so told her his whole story. Then she asked:
'O Prince Almas-ruh-bakhsh, do you still wish so much to make this
journey to Waq of Qaf? What hope is there in it? The road is dangerous
even near here, and this is not yet the borderland of the Caucasus.
Come, give it up! It is a great risk, and to go is not wise. It would
be a pity for a man like you to fall into the hands of jins and demons.
Stay with me, and I will do whatever you wish.'

'O most delicious person!' he answered, 'you are very generous, and the
choice of my life lies in truth in your hands; but I beg one favour of
you. If you love me, so do I too love you. If you really love me, do not
forbid me to make this journey, but help me as far as you can. Then it
may be that I shall succeed, and if I return with my purpose fulfilled I
will marry you according to the law, and take you to my own country,
and we will spend the rest of our lives together in pleasure and good
companionship. Help me, if you can, and give me your counsel.'

'O very stuff of my life,' replied Jamila 'I will give you things that
are not in kings' treasuries, and which will be of the greatest use to
you. First, there are the bow and arrows of his Reverence the Prophet
Salih. Secondly, there is the Scorpion of Solomon (on whom be peace),
which is a sword such as no king has; steel and stone are one to it; if
you bring it down on a rock it will not be injured, and it will cleave
whatever you strike. Thirdly, there is the dagger which the sage Timus
himself made; this is most useful, and the man who wears it would not
bend under seven camels' loads. What you have to do first is to get
to the home of the Simurgh, [10] and to make friends with him. If he
favours you, he will take you to Waq of Qaf; if not, you will never get
there, for seven seas are on the way,