ble reflections, which may have been occasioned
by a match you may have thought unequal." "No, sir," answered the
princess "the opinion I at first conceived of you heightened every
moment and you did not stand in need of the extraction you now discover
to make me happy."

The princes congratulated Codadad on his birth, and expressed much
satisfaction at being made acquainted with it. But in reality, instead
of rejoicing, their hatred of so amiable a brother was increased. They
met together at night, and forgetting that had it not been for the brave
son of Pirouze they must have been devoured by the black, agreed among
themselves to murder him. "We have no other course to choose," said one
of them, "for the moment our father shall come to understand that this
stranger, of whom he is already so fond, is our brother, he will declare
him his heir, and we shall all be obliged to obey and fall down before
him." He added much more, which made such an impression on their
unnatural minds, that they immediately repaired to Codadad, then asleep,
stabbed him repeatedly, and leaving him for dead in the arms of the
princess of Deryabar, proceeded on their journey to the city of Harran,
where they arrived the next day.

The sultan their father conceived the greater joy at their return,
because he had despaired of ever seeing them again: he asked what had
been the occasion of their stay. But they took care not to acquaint him
with it, making no mention either of the black or of Codadad; and only
said, that being curious to see different countries, they had spent some
time in the neighbouring cities.

In the meantime Codadad lay in his tent weltering in his blood and
little differing from a dead man, with the princess his wife, who seemed
to be in not much better condition than himself. She rent the air with
her dismal shrieks, tore her hair, and bathing her husband's body with
her tears, "Alas! Codadad, my dear Codadad," cried she, "is it you whom
I behold just departing this life? Can I believe these are your brothers
who have treated you so unmercifully, those brothers whom thy valour had
saved? O Heaven! which has condemned me to lead a life of calamities, if
you will not permit me to have a consort, why did you permit me to find
one? Behold, you have now robbed me of two, just as I began to be
attached to them."

By these and other moving expressions the afflicted princess of Deryabar
vented her sorrow, fixing her eyes on the u