ratulate 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 real peace, and never any opportunity of slipping away. In
fact, after a few days, despair possessed him to such a degree that he
made up his mind that all that happened was fate, and that escape was
impossible; but he hoped devoutly some turn of fortune would reveal to
him a way out of the difficulties which he had, with the best
intentions, drawn upon himself.

On the seventh day they a