“I am lost,” he answered, “and I am looking for the road.”

“Keep straight on,” said the ogress, “and you will find it.”

The prince could hardly believe his ears, and rode off as hard as he could.  He found his way, and arrived safe and sound at his father’s house, where he told him of the danger he had run because of the grand-vizir’s carelessness.  The king was very angry, and had him strangled immediately.

“Sire,” went on the vizir to the Greek king, “to return to the physician, Douban.  If you do not take care, you will repent of having trusted him.  Who knows what this remedy, with which he has cured you, may not in time have a bad effect on you?”

The Greek king was naturally very weak, and did not perceive the wicked intention of his vizir, nor was he firm enough to keep to his first resolution.

“Well, vizir,” he said, “you are right.  Perhaps he did come to take my life.  He might do it by the mere smell of one of his drugs.  I must see what can be done.”

“The best means, sire, to put your life in security, is to send for him at once, and to cut off his head directly he comes,” said the vizir.

“I really think,” replied the king, “that will be the best way.”

He then ordered one of his ministers to fetch the physician, who came at once.

“I have had you sent for,” said the king, “in order to free myself from you by taking your life.”

The physician was beyond measure astonished when he heard he was to die.

“What crimes have I committed, your majesty?”

“I have learnt,” replied the king, “that you are a spy, and intend to kill me.  But I will be first, and kill you.  Strike,” he added to an executioner who was by, “and rid me of this assassin.”

At this cruel order the physician threw himself on his knees.  “Spare my life,” he cried, “and yours will be spared.”

The fisherman stopped here to say to the genius:  “You see what passed between the Greek king and the physician has just passed between us two.  The Greek king,” he went on, “had no mercy on him, and the executioner bound his eyes.”

All those present begged for his life, but in vain.

The physician on his knees, and bound, said to the king:  “At least let me put my affairs in order, and leave my books to persons who will make good use of them.  There is one which I should like to present to your majesty.  It is very precious, and ought to be kept carefully in your treasury.  It contains many curious things the chief being that when you cut off my head, if your majesty will turn to the sixth leaf, and read the third line of the left-hand page, my head will answer all the questions you like to ask it.”