ed a man to
help him. The widow's son begged that he would take him as a servant,
and to this the merchant assented, giving him his whole year's salary
beforehand. The young man returned home with the news, and next day
bade farewell to his mother and his wife, who were very sad at parting
from him.

'Do not forget me while you are absent,' whispered the princess as she
flung her arms round his neck; 'and as you pass by the well which lies
near the city gate, stop and greet the old man you will find sitting
there. Kiss his hand, and then ask him what counsel he can give you
for your journey.'

Then the youth set out, and when he reached the well where the old man
was sitting he asked the questions as his wife had bidden him.

'My son,' replied the old man, 'you have done well to come to me, and
in return remember three things: "She whom the heart loves, is ever
the most beautiful." "Patience is the first step on the road to
happiness." "He wins who waits."'

The young man thanked him and went on his way. Next morning early the
caravan set out, and before sunset it had arrived at the first halting
place, round some wells, where another company of merchants had
already encamped. But no rain had fallen for a long while in that
rocky country, and both men and beasts were parched with thirst. To be
sure, there _was_ another well about half a mile away, where there was
always water; but to get it you had to be lowered deep down, and,
besides, no one who had ever descended that well had been known to
come back.

However, till they could store some water in their bags of goat-skin,
the caravans dared not go further into the desert, and on the night of
the arrival of the widow's son and his master, the merchants had
decided to offer a large reward to anyone who was brave enough to go
down into the enchanted well and bring some up. Thus it happened that
at sunrise the young man was aroused from his sleep by a herald making
his round of the camp, proclaiming that every merchant present would
give a thousand piastres to the man who would risk his life to bring
water for themselves and their camels.

The youth hesitated for a little while when he heard the proclamation.
The story of the well had spread far and wide, and long ago had
reached his ears. The danger was great, he knew; but then, if he came
back alive, he would be the possessor of eighty thousand piastres. He
turned to the herald who was passing the tent:

'_I_