avouchest to be goodlier than I and whose daughter she is.”  Quoth the man, “She is the daughter of King Such-an-one;” whereupon Bihzad’s heart clave to her and his colour changed.  Presently the news reached his sire, who said to him, “O my son, this maiden to whom thy heart cleaveth is at thy command and we have power over her; so wait till I demand her in wedlock for thee.”  But the Prince said, “I will not wait.”  So the king hastened in the matter and sent to demand her of her sire, who required of him an hundred thousand dinars paid down to his daughter’s dowry.  Quoth Bihzad’s father, “So be it,” and weighed out what was in his treasuries, and there remained to his charge but a little of the dower.[FN#177] So he said, “Have patience, O my son, till we gather together the rest of the money and send to fetch her for thee, since now she is become thine.”  Therewith the Prince waxed wroth with exceeding wrath and cried, “I will not have patience;” so he took his sword and his lance[FN#178] and mounting his horse, went forth and fell to cutting the way.[FN#179] It chanced one day that he fell upon a company of folk who overcame him by dint of numbers and taking him prisoner, pinioned him and carried him to the lord of that land wherein he was a-highwaying.  This king saw his semblance and loveliness and misdoubting of him, said, “This be no robber’s favour.  Tell me truly, O youth, who thou art.”  Bihzad was ashamed to acquaint him with his condition and preferred death for himself; so he answered, “I am naught but a thief and a bandit.”  Quoth the king, “It behoveth us not to act hastily in the matter of this youth, but that we look into his affair, for that impatience gendereth penitence.”  So he imprisoned him in his palace and assigned him one to serve him.  Meanwhile the news spread abroad that Bihzad, son of the sovran, was lost, whereupon his father sent letters in quest of him to all the kings including him with whom he was imprisoned.  When the letter reached the latter, he praised Almighty Allah for that he had not anyways hastened in Bihzad’s affair and bidding them bring him before himself, said to him, “Art thou minded to destroy thy life?” Quoth Bihzad, “I did this for fear of shame;” and the king said, “An thou fear shame, thou shouldst not practise haste in thy doings; knowest thou not that the fruit of impatience is repentance?  Had we hasted, we also, like thee, had repented.”  Then he conferred on him a robe of honour and engaged to him for the completion of the dowry and sent to his father, giving him the glad tidings and comforting his heart with news of his son’s safety; after which he said to Bihzad, “Arise, O my son, and go to thy sire.”  Rejoined the Prince, “O king, complete thy kindness to me by hastening my going-in to my wife; for, an I go back to my sire, the time will be long till he send a messenger and he return, promising me dispatch.”  The king laughed and marvelled at him and said to him, “I fear for thee from this precipitancy,