Then said she:--I have heard, O auspicious King, that the three
princely brothers forthright made them ready for journey and
voyage. So they donned disguise, preferring the dress of
wandering merchants; and, buying such things as they needed and
taking with them each his suite they mounted steeds of purest
blood and rode forth in a body from the palace. For several
stages they travelled the same road until, reaching a place where
it branched off in three different ways, they alighted at a Khan
and ate the evening meal. Then they made compact and covenant,
that whereas they had thus far travelled together they should at
break of day take separate roads and each wend his own way and
all seek different and distant regions, agreeing to travel for
the space of one year only, after which, should they be in the
land of the living, all three would rendezvous at that same
caravanserai and return in company to the King their sire.
Furthermore, they determined that the first who came back to the
Khan should await the arrival of the next, and that two of them
should tarry there in expectancy of the third. Then, all this
matter duly settled, they retired to rest, and when the morning
morrowed they fell on one another's necks and bade farewell; and,
lastly, mounting their horses, they rode forth each in his own
direction. Now Prince Husayn, the eldest, had oft heard recount
the wonders of the land Bishangarh[FN#316], and for a long while
had wished to visit it; so he took the road which led thither,
and, joining himself to a caravan journeying that way,
accompanied it by land and by water and traversed many regions,
desert wilds and stony wolds, dense jungles and fertile tracts,
with fields and hamlets and gardens and townships. After three
months spent in wayfare at length he made Bishangarh, a region
over-reigned by manifold rulers, so great was its extent and so
far reaching was its power. He put up at a Khan built specially
for merchants who came from the farthest lands, and from the folk
who dwelt therein he heard tell that the city contained a large
central market[FN#317] wherein men bought and sold all manner of
rarities and wondrous things. Accordingly, next day Prince Husayn
repaired to the Bazar and on sighting it he stood amazed at the
prospect of its length and width. It was divided into many
streets, all vaulted over but lit up by skylights; and the shops
on either side were substantially builded, all after one pattern
and nearly of the same size, while each was fronted by an awning
which kept off the glare and made a grateful shade. Within these
shops were ranged and ordered various kinds of wares; there were
bales of "woven air"[FN#318] and linens of finest tissue,
plain-white or dyed or adorned with life-like patterns wherefrom
beasts and trees and blooms stood out so distinctly that one
might believe them to be very ferals, bosquets and gardens. There
were moreover silken goods, brocaded stuffs, and finest satins
from Persia and Egypt of endless profusion; in the China
warehouses stood glass vessels of all kinds, and here and there
were stores wherein tapestries and thousands of foot-carpets lay
for sale. So Prince Husayn walked on from shop to shop and
marvelled much to see such wondrous things whereof he had never
even dreamt: and he came at length to the Goldsmiths' Lane and
espied gems and jewels and golden and silvern vessels studded
with diamonds and rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious
stones, all so lustrous and dazzling bright that the stores were
lit up with their singular brilliancy. Hereat he said to himself,
"If in one street only there be such wealth and jewels so rare,
Allah Almighty and none save He knoweth what may be the riches in
all this city." He was not less astonished to behold the
Brahmins, how their women-kind for excess of opulence bedecked
themselves with the finest gems and were ornamented with the
richest gear from front to foot: their very slave-boys and
handmaids wore golden necklaces and bracelets and bangles studded
with precious stones. Along the length of one market street were
ranged hosts of flower-sellers; for all the folk, both high and
low, wore wreaths and garlands: some carried nosegays in hand,
other some bound fillets round their heads, while not a few had
ropes and festoons surrounding and hanging from their necks. The
whole place seemed one huge parterre of bloomery; even traders
set bouquets in every shop and stall, and the scented air was
heavy with perfume. Strolling to and fro Prince Husayn was
presently tired and would fain have sat him down somewhere to
rest awhile, when one of the merchants, noting his look of
weariness, with kindly courtesy prayed him be seated in his
store. After saluting him with the salam the stranger sat down;
and anon he saw a broker come that way, offering for sale a
carpet some four yards square, and crying, "This be for sale; who
giveth me its worth; to wit, thirty thousand gold pieces?"--And
as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till