se words they both disappeared and left him. He walked on,
thinking still that he must be dreaming. Very soon he retired to rest in
a splendid room, far grander than anything he had ever dreamed of.

When morning dawned he woke, and found that the palace, and himself, and
his servants were all real, and that he was not dreaming after all!

If he was dumbfounded, the merchant, who was ushered into his presence
soon after sunrise, was much more so. He told Wali Dad that he had not
slept all night, and by the first streak of daylight had started to seek
out his friend. And what a search he had had! A great stretch of wild
jungle country had, in the night, been changed into parks and gardens;
and if it had not been for some of Wali Dad's new servants, who found
him and brought him to the palace, he would have fled away under the
impression that his trouble had sent him crazy, and that all he saw was
only imagination.

Then Wali Dad told the merchant all that had happened. By his advice he
sent an invitation to the king and princess of Khaistan to come and be
his guests, together with all their retinue and servants, down to the
very humblest in the camp.

For three nights and days a great feast was held in honour of the royal
guests. Every evening the king and his nobles were served on golden
plates and from golden cups; and the smaller people on silver plates and
from silver cups; and each evening each guest was requested to keep the
places and cups that they had used as a remembrance of the occasion.
Never had anything so splendid been seen. Besides the great dinners,
there were sports and hunting, and dances, and amusements of all sorts.

On the fourth day the king of Khaistan took his host aside, and asked
him whether it was true, as he had suspected, that he wished to marry
his daughter. But Wali Dad, after thanking him very much for the
compliment, said that he had never dreamed of so great an honour, and
that he was far too old and ugly for so fair a lady; but he begged the
king to stay with him until he could send for the Prince of Nekabad, who
was a most excellent, brave, and honourable young man, and would surely
be delighted to try to win the hand of the beautiful princess.

To this the king agreed, and Wali Dad sent the merchant to Nekabad, with
a number of attendants, and with such handsome presents that the prince
came at once, fell head over ears in love with the princess, and married
her at Wali Dad's pa