She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Syce said to Sindbad the Seaman, “I will bear thee to King Mihrjan and show thee our country.  And know that hadst thou not happened on us, thou hadst perished miserably and none had known of thee; but I will be the means of the saving of thy life and of thy return to thine own land.”  I called down blessings on him and thanked him for his kindness and courtesy....  After this, we sat awhile, till the rest of the grooms came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their fellow Syce questioned me of my case, and I repeated my story to them.  Thereupon they drew near me, and spreading the table, ate and invited me to eat; so I ate with them, after which they took horse, and mounting me on one of the mares, set out with me and fared on without ceasing, till we came to the capital city of King Mihrjan, and going in to him acquainted him with my story.  Then he sent for me, and when they set me before him and salams had been exchanged, he gave me a cordial welcome and wishing me long life bade me tell him my tale.  So I related to him all that I had seen and all that had befallen me from first to last, whereat he marveled and said to me, “By Allah, O my son, thou hast indeed been miraculously preserved!  Were not the term of thy life a long one, thou hadst not escaped from these straits; but praised be Allah for safety!” Then he spoke cheerily to me and entreated me with kindness and consideration; moreover, he made me his agent for the port and registrar of all ships that entered the harbor.  I attended him regularly, to receive his commandments, and he favored me and did me all manner of kindness and invested me with costly and splendid robes.  Indeed, I was high in credit with him, as an intercessor for the folk and an intermediary between them and him, when they wanted aught of him.  I abode thus a great while, and as often as I passed through the city to the port, I questioned the merchants and travelers and sailors of the city of Baghdad; so haply I might hear of an occasion to return to my native land, but could find none who knew it or knew any who resorted thither.  At this I was chagrined, for I was weary of long strangerhood; and my disappointment endured for a time till one day, going in to King Mihrjan, I found with him a company of Indians.  I saluted them and they returned my salam; and politely welcomed me and asked me of my country—­

And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

NOW WHEN IT WAS THE FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIRST NIGHT,