‘As soon as night fell I regained the wood and was soon with the princess. “Beautiful Schirina,” I said to her on entering her apartment, “you do not know what has passed to-day in the plain. A courtier who doubted your husband to be Mahomet has expiated the doubt. I raised a storm which alarmed his horse; the courtier fell and broke his leg. I have not judged fit to push vengeance further, but I swear by my tomb at Medina that if anyone has any further doubt of your happiness it shall cost him his life.” After having passed several hours with the princess, I retired.

‘The following day the king assembled his vizirs and his courtiers. “Let us all go together,” he said, and ask pardon of Mahomet for the unfortunate man who has refused to believe me and who has received the punishment of his incredulity.” At the same time they mounted their horses and went to the palace of the princess. The king himself opened the doors he had locked and sealed the preceding day. He ascended, followed by his vizirs, to the apartment of his daughter.

‘“Schirina,” he said, “we come to beg you to intercede with the Prophet for a man who has drawn down his anger upon him.”

‘“I know,” replied the princess; “Mahomet has spoken to me about it.” Then she repeated what I had said to her at night, and told them that I had sworn to exterminate all those who should doubt her marriage with the Prophet.

‘When the good King Bahaman heard this speech, he turned towards his vizirs and courtiers and said, “Had we not already placed our belief in all we have seen, could we now be otherwise than persuaded that Mahomet is my son-in-law. You see he has told my daughter himself that he raised this storm to punish an unbeliever.”

‘All the ministers and the others remained con­vinced that she was the spouse of the Prophet. They prostrated themselves before her and begged her very humbly to intercede with me in favour of the wounded courtier, which she promised to do.

‘In the meanwhile I had eaten all my provisions, and as I had no money left, the Prophet Mahomet began to be at a loss what to do. I thought of an expedient. “My princess,” I said one night to Schirina, “we have forgotten to observe a formality in our marriage. You have given me no dowry, and this omission distresses me.”

‘“Well, dear husband,” she replied, “I will speak about it to my father to-morrow; he will doubtless send all his riches here.”

‘“No, no,” I replied, “there is no need to speak to him. I care little for treasures; riches are useless to me. It is sufficient for you to give me some of your jewels, it is the only dowry I ask.”

‘Schirina wished to load me with all her precious stones to make a better dowry, but I contented myself with taking two big diamonds, which I sold the following day to a jeweller of Gazna. I was thus enabled to continue to play the part of Mahomet.

‘I had been leading a very agreeable life, passing as the Prophet for nearly a month, when an ambassador arrived in the town of Gazna on behalf of a neighbouring king to ask Schirina in marriage. He was soon received in audience, and as soon as he had revealed the object of his embassy Bahaman said to him, “I am sorry not to be able to give my daughter to the king your master. I have given her in marriage to the Prophet Mahomet.”

‘The ambassador judged from this answer that the King of Gazna had gone mad. He took leave of this prince and returned to his master, who at first thought with him that he had lost his senses, then, imputing the refusal to contempt, he was angry at it. He raised troops, formed a great army, and entered the kingdom of Gazna.

‘The king, called Cassim, was stronger than Bahaman, who, moreover, prepared so slowly to receive his enemy that he could not prevent his making great progress. Cassim defeated several troops who endeavoured to oppose his progress, advanced hastily towards the town of Gazna, and found the army of Bahaman entrenched in the plain before the castle of the Princess Schirina. The design of the irritated lover was to attack him within his entrenchments; but as his troops had need of repose, and as he had arrived in the plain in the evening only, he delayed the attack till the following morning.

‘However, the King of Gazna, informed as to the number and valour of Cassim’s soldiers, began to tremble. He assembled his council, at which the courtier who had been wounded in falling from his horse spoke thus:

‘“I am astonished that the king should appear to be uneasy on this occasion. What alarm can, not Cassim alone, but all the princes of the world, cause the father-in-law of Mahomet? Your Majesty, sire, has only to address himself to his son-in-law. Implore the aid of the great Prophet, he will soon confound your enemies. He should do so, as he is the cause of Cassim’s coming to trouble the peace of your subjects.”

‘Although this speech was only made in derision it did not fail to inspire confidence in Bahaman.

‘“You are right,” he said to the courtier, “I ought to address myself to the Prophet. I am going to beg him to repulse my enemy, and I dare hope he will not refuse my prayer.”

‘At these words he went to find Schirina.

‘“My daughter,” he said to her, “to-morrow at daybreak Cassim will attack us. I fear lest he will force our entrenchments. I come here to pray Mahomet to succour us. Use all your influence with him to get him to take our part.”

‘“My lord,” replied the princess, “it will not be very difficult to interest the Prophet on our behalf; he will soon disperse the enemy’s troops, and all the kings of the world will learn at Cassim’s expense to respect you.”

‘“Nevertheless,” replied the king, “the night advances, and the Prophet does not appear; can he have abandoned us?”

‘“No, father,” replied Schirina. “Do not believe that he will fail us in the moment of need. He sees from the heaven; he dwells in the army which assails us, and he is perhaps preparing to spread disorder and terror amongst them.”

‘It was, indeed, what Mahomet wished to do. I had, during the day, perceived from afar the troops of Cassim. I had remarked the disposition of them, and particularly noticed the whereabouts of the king. I gathered some large and small pebbles; I filled my coffer with them, and in the middle of the night I rose in the air. I advanced towards the tents of Cassim. I detected without difficulty the one in which the king slept. It was a very high pavilion, well gilt, made in the shape of a dome, supported by twelve columns of painted wood. The intervals between the columns were formed of branches of different sorts of trees inter­laced. Towards the top were two windows, one looking east and one south.

‘All the soldiers surrounding the tent slept, which enabled me to descend as far as one of the windows without being seen. I saw the king asleep upon a sofa, his head resting upon a satin cushion. I came half out of my coffer, and throwing a large pebble at Cassim, I struck him on the forehead, and wounded him dangerously. He uttered a cry which soon awoke his guards and officers. They hastened to him, and found him covered with blood and almost unconscious. They raised a cry, the alarm spread, everyone asking what had happened. The rumour spread that the king had been wounded by an unknown hand. Whilst the perpetrator was sought for, I rose into the clouds and let fall a shower of stones on the royal tent and its neighbourhood. Some soldiers were wounded, and cried out that it was raining stones. The news spread, and to confirm it I threw pebbles everywhere. Then terror seized the army; officers and soldiers believed that the Prophet was angry with Cassim, and declared his wrath by this miracle.

‘Finally Bahaman’s enemies took flight and fled. They fled with such precipitation that they left everything behind them, crying:

‘“We are lost. Mahomet is going to extermi­nate us all.”

‘The King of Gazna was somewhat surprised at daybreak when, instead of being attacked, he perceived the enemy retiring. He immediately pursued them with his best soldiers. He made great carnage amongst them, and overtook Cassim, whose wound prevented his going very fast.

‘“Why,” said he, “have you entered my dominions contrary to all right and reason? What occasion have I given you to make war?”

‘“Bahaman,” replied the conquered king, “I thought you had refused me your daughter out of contempt, and I wished to revenge myself. I could not believe that the Prophet was your son-in-law, but I do not doubt it now, since it is he who has wounded me and dispersed my army.”

‘Bahaman ceased to pursue his enemies, and returned to Gazna with Cassim, who died of his wound the same day. They divided the booty, which was considerable, and the soldiers returned home laden with wealth. Prayers were offered in all the mosques to thank Heaven for having confounded the enemies of the State; and when night had come, the king went unaccompanied to the palace of the princess.