Then said she:--I have heard, O auspicious King, that Prince Ali
presently asked one of the shopkeepers with whom he had made
acquaintance, saying, "O my friend, is this man a maniac that he
asketh a sum of thirty thousand Ashrafis for this little pipe of
ivory? Surely none save an idiot would give him such a price and
waste upon it such a mint of money." Said the shop man, "O my
lord, this broker is wiser and warier than all the others of his
calling, and by means of him I have sold goods worth thousands of
sequins. Until yesterday he was in his sound senses; but I cannot
say what state is his to day and whether or no he have lost his
wits; but this wot I well, that if he ask thirty thousand for yon
ivory tube, 'twill be worth that same or even more. Howbeit we
shall see with our own eyes. Sit thee here and rest within the
shop until he pass this way." So Prince Ali abode where he was
bidden and presently the broker was seen coming up the street.
Then the shopman calling to him said, "O man, rare merit hath yon
little pipe; for all the folk are astounded to hear thee ask so
high a price therefor; nay more, this friend of mine thinketh
that thou art crazy." The broker, a man of sense, was on no wise
chafed at these words but answered with gentle speech, "O my
lord, I doubt not but that thou must deem me a madman to ask so
high a price, and set so great a value upon an article so mean;
but when I shall have made known to thee its properties and
virtues, thou wilt most readily consent to take it at that
valuation. Not thou alone but all men who have heard me cry my
cry laugh and name me ninny." So saying, the broker showed the
Spying Tube to Prince Ali and handing it to him said, "Examine
well this ivory, the properties of which I will explain to thee.
Thou seest that it is furnished with a piece of glass at either
end;[FN#327] and, shouldst thou apply one extremity thereof to
thine eye, thou shalt see what thing soe'er thou listest and it
shall appear close by thy side though parted from thee by many an
hundred of miles." Replied the Prince, "This passeth all
conception, nor can I believe it to be veridical until I shall
have tested it and I become satisfied that 'tis even as thou
sayest." Hereupon the broker placed the little tube in Prince
Ali's hand, and showing him the way to handle it said, "Whatso
thou mayest wish to descry will be shown to thee by looking
through this ivory." Prince Ali silently wished to sight his
sire, and when he placed the pipe close to his eye forthwith he
saw him hale and hearty, seated on his throne and dispensing
justice to the people of his dominion. Then the youth longed with
great longing to look upon his lady love the Princess Nur
al-Nihar; and straightway he saw her also sitting upon her bed,
sound and sane, talking and laughing, whilst a host of handmaids
stood around awaiting her commands. The Prince was astonished
exceedingly to behold this strange and wondrous spectacle, and
said to himself, "An I should wander the whole world over for ten
years or more and search in its every corner and cranny, I shall
never find aught so rare and precious as this tube of ivory."
Then quoth he to the broker, "The virtues of thy pipe I find are
indeed those thou hast described, and right willingly I give to
thee its price the thirty thousand Ashrafis." Replied the sales-
man, "O my lord, my master hath sworn an oath that he will not
part with it for less than forty thousand gold pieces." Here-upon
the Prince, understanding that the broker was a just man and a
true, weighed out to him the forty thousand sequins and became
master of the Spying Tube, enraptured with the thought that
assuredly it would satisfy his sire and obtain for him the hand
of Princess Nur al-Nihar. So with mind at ease Ali journeyed
through Shiraz and over sundry parts of Persia; and in fine, when
the year was well nigh spent he joined a caravan and, travelling
back to India, arrived safe and sound at the appointed
caravanserai whither Prince Husayn had foregone him. There the
twain tarried awaiting the third brother's safe return. Such, O
King Shahryar, is the story of the two brothers; and now I
beseech thee incline thine ear and hearken to what befel the
youngest, to wit Prince Ahmad; for indeed his adventure is yet
more peregrine and seld-seen of all. When he had parted from his
brothers, he took the road leading to Samarkand; and, arriving
there after long travel, he also like his brothers alighted at a
Khan. Next day he fared forth to see the market square, which
folk call the Bazistan, and he found it fairly laid out, the
shops wroughten with cunning workmanship and filled with rare
stuffs and precious goods and costly merchandise. Now as he
wandered to and fro he came across a broker who was hawking a
Magical Apple and crying aloud, "Who will buy this fruit, the
price whereof be thirty-five thousand gold pieces?" Quoth Prince
Ahmad to the man, "Prithee let me see the fruit thou holdest in
hand, and explain to me what hidden virtue it possesseth that
thou art asking for it so high a value." Quoth the other, smiling
and handing to him the apple, "Marvel not at this, O good my
lord: in sooth I am certified that when I shall have explained
its properties and thou shalt see how it advantageth all mankind,
thou wilt not deem my demand exorbitant; nay, rather thou wilt
gladly give a treasure house of gold so thou may possess
it."--And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till