e caravan
made, and the glitter of its appointments, he said to himself: 'By
Allah! here's a grand crowd coming! Elephants, too! Grass will be
selling well to-day!' And with that he hurried off to the jungle and cut
grass as fast as he could. As soon as he got back he found the caravan
had stopped at his door, and the merchant was waiting, a little
anxiously, to tell him the news and to congratulate him upon his riches.

'Riches!' cried Wali Dad, 'what has an old man like me with one foot in
the grave to do with riches? That beautiful young princess, now! She'd
be the one to enjoy all these fine things! Do you take for yourself two
horses, two camels, and two elephants, with all their trappings, and
present the rest to her.'

The merchant at first objected to these remarks, and pointed out to Wali
Dad that he was beginning to feel these embassies a little awkward. Of
course he was himself richly repaid, so far as expenses went; but still
he did not like going so often, and he was getting nervous. At length,
however he consented to go once more, but he promised himself never to
embark on another such enterprise.

So, after a few days' rest, the caravan started off once more for
Khaistan.

The moment the king of Khaistan saw the gorgeous train of men and beasts
entering his palace courtyard, he was so amazed that he hurried down
in person to inquire about it, and became dumb when he heard that
these also were a present from the princely Wali Dad, and were for the
princess, his daughter. He went hastily off to her apartments, and said
to her: 'I tell you what it is, my dear, this man wants to marry you;
that is the meaning of all these presents! There is nothing for it but
that we go and pay him a visit in person. He must be a man of immense
wealth, and as he is so devoted to you, perhaps you might do worse than
marry him!'

The princess agreed with all that her father said, and orders were
issued for vast numbers of elephants and camels, and gorgeous tents
and flags, and litters for the ladies, and horses for the men, to be
prepared without delay, as the king and princess were going to pay a
visit to the great and munificent prince Wali Dad. The merchant, the
king declared, was to guide the party.

The feelings of the poor merchant in this sore dilemma can hardly be
imagined. Willingly would he have run away; but he was treated with so
much hospitality as Wali Dad's representative, that he hardly got an
instant's