‘“Trust to me,” I then said to Ghulnaze; “I am going to bring you the key.”

‘I immediately left the palace and went to the western side of the garden, and perceived the magician asleep on the grass, her head resting on the cushion. I remained for some time uncertain what step to take, but the fear of awaking Meh­refza determined me to cut off her head with a sword. I killed the magician and brought the pillow to her sister, who awaited me with much impatience. I related to her what I had just done, and she appeared delighted. After that I took the key out of the bag and set my princess at liberty.

‘Thus,’ continued Symorgue, ‘I have rid myself of the wickedest woman in the world. We can presently, divine Farrukhnaz, enter the palace. We shall find Ghulnaze, who is preparing to receive us there; she is as rejoiced at your arrival here as at her own deliverance.’

At these words he offered his hand to the Princess of Cashmere and conducted her to the palace. They met Ghulnaze, who came to meet them. She prostrated herself at the feet of the daughter of her king, but Farrukhnaz raised her, kissed her tenderly, and showed her a thousand attentions.

‘Beautiful Ghulnaze,’ she said, ‘I am charmed that the brave and generous Symorgue has served you so well. It is true,’ she added smiling, ‘that he was under too much obligation to you not to expose himself to the greatest dangers rather than leave you in chains.’

‘O my princess,’ replied Ghulnaze in the same tone, ‘you see the stag does not forsake the doe when she is in need of his help.’

After talking a little while they entered the palace, which Farrukhnaz thought beautiful. Then they left it to go into the park, in which were more than three hundred stags. The magi­cian’s sister restored them to their natural form in the same way as she had done to Symorgue.

As they became men again, they threw them­selves at the feet of their charming liberator to give her the thanks due to her. They were all, for the most part, young and well made. Some were Tartars, others Chinese, and others Cariz­mians. There were some from all parts of Asia; but Farrukhnaz’s conductor was very surprised, and caused extreme astonishment to the princesses when, suddenly detecting Prince Farrukhschad amongst the crowd of men, he ran and threw him­self at his feet, saying: ‘O my dear prince, is it possible that I find you here?’

‘O my friend,’ replied the Prince of Persia, ‘is it Symorgue who presents himself before my eyes?’

‘Yes, my lord,’ replied the confidant, ‘it is he himself, and to crown everything, he brings to you the Princess of Cashmere.’

At these words he conducted his master to Farrukhnaz, who recognised in the prince the features she had seen in her dream, as, on his part, Farrukhschad knew at once that it was the princess whose image he cherished in his memory.

Whilst the Prince of Persia endeavoured to express to his mistress all the joy which animated him, Ghulnaze went into the meadow where the white does were. She also restored them to their original form, and they turned out to be very charming young ladies whom the magician her sister had changed. She led them before Farrukh­naz, who made them tell their stories. All these ladies had their lovers there, who were enchanted to see them once more released like them from the magic power which had kept them in animal forms. As additional good fortune, every cavalier who had been changed into a stag found his horse again in the stables of the palace.

Thus, after having once more thanked Ghulnaze a thousand times, all the men whom she had delivered took leave of her, and returned with their ladies, each to their own country.

There only remained in the palace, Farrukhnaz, Ghulnaze, Sutlumemé, the Prince of Persia and his confidant. They remained there several days; then they all departed for the court of Gazuine, where they arrived safely. The King of Gazuine, in order to celebrate the return of Farrukhschad, had the town decorated, and ordered public rejoicings. He married the prince to the Princess of Cashmere, and Symorgue to Ghulnaze.

Whilst the court of Gazuine was rejoicing over these marriages, the old monarch wished to hear the story of Farrukhnaz. Symorgue related how he had succeeded in gaining the confidence of the princess, and when he had finished his story, Farrukhschad related how he had fallen into the hands of Mehrefza.

Shortly afterwards the King of Gazuine fell ill, and seeing himself on the point of being carried off by the Angel of Death, he named as his successor to the crown the Prince Farrukhschad, who mounted the throne as soon as the old king was dead; but, wishing to return to Persia, he gave the sceptre of Gazuine to Symorgue, to the satis­faction of the people. Symorgue reigned with the Princess Ghulnaze, and Farrukhschad conducted Farrukhnaz to the court of Persia, where he soon succeeded the king his father, who seemed only to wait for the return of his son to die.