On the morrowhe set out and travelled till he reached the city；butwhen he would have enteredthe gatekeepers laid hands on himthat they might bring him before the King；for that it was his wont to question all strangers respecting their conditions and the crafts in which they were skilled and the reason of their coming thither. Now it was eventidewhen he entered the cityand it was then too late to go in to the King or take counsel with him respecting him. So they carried him to the prisonthinking to lay him therein for the night；but，when the warders saw his beauty and gracethey could not find it in their hearts to imprison himbut made him sit with them，without the prison；and when food came to themhe ate his fill with them. When they had made an end of eatingthey turned to him and said'What countryman art thou？'I come from Persia，'answered he'the land of the Chosros.'When they heard this，they laughed and one of them said'O ChosroinI have heard the talk of men and their histories and looked upon their conditions；but never saw or heard I a greater liar than the Chosroin that is with us in the prison.'Nor，'quoth another，'did I ever see fouler than his favour or more repulsive than his aspect.'What have ye seen of his lying？'asked the princeand they answered'He pretends that he is a sage. Now the King came upon himas he went a-huntingand found with him a most beautiful lady and a horse of ebonynever saw I a handsomer. As for the ladyshe is with the Kingwho is enamoured of her and would fain marry her；but she is madand were this man a physicianas he pretendshe would have cured herfor the King doth his utmost endeavour to find a remedy for her diseaseand this whole year past hath he spent treasures upon physicians and astrologerson her account；but none can avail to cure her. As for the horseit is in the royal treasuryand the man is here with us in the prison；and all night long he weeps and bemoans himself and will not let us sleep.'
When the prince heard thishe bethought himself of a device by which he might compass his desire；and presently the warders，being minded to sleepclapped him into the prison and locked the door. He heard the Persian weeping and bemoaning himself，in his own tongueand saying'Woe is me for my sinthat I sinned against myself and against the King's sonin that which I did with the damsel；for I neither left her nor got my desire of her！ All this comes of my want of sensein that I sought for myself that which I deserved not and which befitted not the like of me；for hewho seeks what befits him notfalleth into the like of my predicament.'When the prince heard thishe accosted him in Persiansaying'How long wilt thou keep up this weeping and wailing？ Thinkst thou that there hath befallen thee what never befell other than thou？'When the Persian heard thishe made friends with him and began to complain to him of his case and misfortunes.
As soon as it was daythe warders took the prince and carried him before the Kinginforming him that he had entered the city on the previous nightat a time when no audience could be had of him. Quoth the King to the prince'Whence comest thou and what is thy name and craft and why comest thou hither？'And he answered'I am calledin PersianHerjeh. I come from the land of Fars and I am of the men of art and especially of the art of medicine and cure the sick and the mad. For thisI go round about all countries and citiesadding knowledge to my knowledgeand whenever I see a sick personI heal him；and this is my craft.'When the King heard thishe rejoiced exceedingly and said'O excellent sagethou hast come to us at a time when we have need of thee.'Then he acquainted him with the case of the princessadding'If thou win to cure her and recover her of her madnessthou shalt have of me whatever thou seekest.'May God advance the King！'rejoined the prince.
'Describe to me all thou hast seen of her madness and tell me how long it is since it attacked her；also how thou camest by her.'So the King told him the whole storyfrom first to last，adding'The sage is in prison.'O august King，'said the prince'and what hast thou done with the horse？'It is with me yetlaid up in one of my treasure-chambers，'replied the King；whereupon quoth the prince in himself'The first thing to do is to see the horse and assure myself of its condition.
If it be whole and unhurtall will be well；butif its works be destroyedI must find some other way of delivering my beloved.'
