Whilome there was a King in the land of Al-S¡n and he had three male children to whose mother befel a mysterious malady.  So they summoned for her Sages and leaches of whom none could understand her ailment and she abode for a while of time strown upon her couch.  At last came a learned physician to whom they described her disorder and he declared, “Indeed this sickness cannot be healed save and except by the Water of Life, a treasure that can be trove only in the land Al-’Ir k.”  When her sons heard these words they said to their sire, “There is no help but that we make our best endeavour and fare thither and thence bring for our mother the water in question.”  Hereupon the King gat ready for them a sufficiency of provaunt for the way and they farewelled him and set forth intending for Barbarian-land.[FN#304] The three Princes ceased not travelling together for seven days, at the end of which time one said to other, “Let us separate and let each make search in a different stead, so haply shall we hit upon our need.”  So speaking they parted after dividing their viaticum and, bidding adieu to one another, each went his own way.  Now the eldest Prince ceased not wending over the wastes and none directed him to a town save after a while when his victual was exhausted and he had naught remaining to eat.  At that time he drew near to one of the cities where he was met at the entrance by a Jewish man who asked him saying, “Wilt thou serve, O Moslem?” Quoth the youth to himself, “I will take service and haply Allah shall discover to me my need.”  Then said he aloud, “I will engage myself to thee;” and said the Jew, “Every day thou shalt serve me in yonder Synagogue, whose floor thou shalt sweep and clean its mattings and rugs and thou shalt scour the candlesticks.” “’Tis well,” replied the Prince, after which he fell to serving in the Jew’s house, until one day of the days when his employer said to him, “O Youth, I will bargain with thee a bargain.”  “And what may that be?” asked the young Prince, and the man answered, “I will condition with thee for thy daily food a scone and a half but the broken loaf thou shalt not devour nor shalt thou break the whole bread; yet do thou eat thy sufficiency and whoso doth contrary to our agreement we will flay[FN#305] his face.  So, an it be thy desire to serve, thou art welcome.”  Now of his inexperience the Prince said to him, “We will serve thee;” whereupon his employer rationed him with a scone and a half and went forth leaving him in the Synagogue.  When it was noon the youth waxed anhungered so he ate the loaf and a half; and about mid-afternoon the Jew came to him and finding that he had devoured the bread asked him thereanent and the other answered, “I was hungry and I ate up all.”  Cried the Jew, “I made compact with thee from the beginning that thou shouldst eat neither the whole nor the broken,” and so saying he fared forth from him and presently brought a party of Jews, who in that town numbered some fifty head, and they seized