The fairy king, on hearing this request, silently held down his head, and after some time said, “I see how it is; the daughter of Harith the merchant has sent you hither in quest of the Shahmuhra.”— “True, sire,” replied Hatim, “and I on my part have undertaken to procure it for her.” — “Well,” continued the king, “I will strictly abide by my promise, but the daughter of Harith shall never possess this treasure.” Hatim suggested that as soon as he had acquitted himself of his task, the Shahmuhra might be returned. Of this proposal the king approved, and having unfixed the Shahmuhra from on his arm, he fastened it on that of Hatim, who immediately perceived its rare qualities; for he had no sooner placed it on his arm than all the treasures of gold and precious stones concealed within the bosom of the earth were now clearly displayed to his eyes; nor was he at any loss to discover the reason why Harith’s daughter so eagerly desired the possession of this key of wealth.

Mahpari summoned into his presence three of his most cunning magicians, and gave them instructions to this effect; “When this man shall have delivered the Shahmuhra to Harith’s daughter, and she in consequence accepts her lover in marriage, you shall transport yourselves thither, and after she has had it ten days in her possession, bring it back to me.” Hatim then took leave of the fairy king, and proceeded to the residence of Husna­pari, with whom he spent three months in the enjoyment of every happiness. At length he bade adieu to that beauti­ful lady, and accompanied by the fairies, of whom some carried his treasures, and others conveyed himself in a litter he left the capital, in a few days reached the territories of Farokash. When arrived at the line of separation between the two regions, the fairies left him, and the demons, who had previously been his guides, and had remained there during his absence in fairy land, instantly took him up, and conveyed him with all his treasures to their own capital. Hatim had an interview with Farokash, who received him with the utmost kindness and hospitality. Next day he continued his homeward journey, and by his former route through the cave, in the course of time arrived safe in the city of Suri.

Hatim immediately on his arrival sought out the lover Naim, on whom he bestowed all the wealth which he brought from fairy land. The youth accepted the valuable effects with a profusion of thanks, after which, Hatim waited on Harith’s daughter and presented her with the Shahmuhra. The lady, on receiving this treasure, was extremely delighted, and said to Hatim, “Now, brave sir, I am yours.”— “Excuse me,” replied Hatim, “if I reject your offer; you know what anguish the youthful Naim has been suffering for years on your account; him therefore you shall accept as your husband.” The lady agreed, saying, “I am entirely at your disposal.” The father and the lover were immediately sent for, and Hatim made them join hands as father and son. The marriage contract was then drawn up and agreed to, after the usual form; in short, the love-sick Naim was blessed in the possession of his mistress and Hatim pleased in what he had himself done. In the course of ten days after, the Shahmuhra mysteriously disap­peared from the lady’s hand, whereupon her grief and lamentation were excessive. Hatim earnestly endeavoured to console her, saying, “Lady, you have in your possession such vast treasures of gold and jewels as will be amply sufficient for your posterity, even unto the seventh generation; why then should you not be content?”

Hatim shortly after took leave of his friends in Suri, and betook himself seriously to the attainment of the object of his journey, viz., the solution of Husn Banu’s second question. He travelled through many a stage without success, till at length he arrived on the banks of a large river. There he beheld a lofty mansion built of stone, over the door of which was written, “Do good and cast it into the river.” On seeing this motto, Hatim devoutly thanked the ruler of events, and said, “I have now reached the object of my desire.” While he was in this contemplation a crowd of attendants issued forth, and conducted him into the house. There he beheld seated upon a throne a venerable man, whose age amounted to a hundred years. On Hatim’s entrance, the aged sire rose up and courteously received him; after which he hospitably presented him with food and drink of various description.

When Hatim had appeased his hunger and allayed his thirst, he said to his entertainer, “Venerable sir, pray what is the meaning of the motto which is written above your door?”— “Young stranger,” replied the aged man, “listen to my tale, which will explain it. In the prime of my life I was a most daring robber, and lived by plundering my fellow-creatures, whose property I used to seize by violent means. But every day, when I rested from my sinful avo­cations, I used to bake two large loaves, the ingredients of which I mixed with sweet-oil and sugar. Two such loaves I daily threw into the river, saying, “This I give away to propitiate the favour of heaven.” A considerable period had thus passed, when one day I was seized with sickness so violent that my soul seemed to quit my body. Methought a man seized me by the hand, and pointing out to me the way to the infernal regions, said, “There is the place destined for thee.” While he was on the point of hurling me into the midst of the damned, two youths divinely fair in counte­nance and angelic in form came up to my rescue. My guardian angels laid hold of me, one by each arm, and said, ‘We will not permit this man to be cast into hell; sinful as he has been his future station is on paradise, and thither let us convey him.’

“They swiftly wafted me to the regions of the blessed where an angel of exalted rank stood up and asked them, ‘Why have you brought this man? A hundred years of his life are yet to pass; but there is another of the same name whom you were commissioned to bring.’ The same two angels who carried me to the gates of paradise, again brought me back to my own house, and said to me at part­ing, ‘We are the two loaves* which you used to cast into the river for fishes to feed on, as a service acceptable to the Almighty.’ When I recovered from my trance, I rose up and fled for refuge into the threshold of divine mercy, exclaiming in the voice of supplication, ‘Graciously God! thou art merciful, and I am a sinful creature. I repent of my evil deeds, which I committed in the depravity of my heart. To thy gates I now flee for protection; spare me, merciful Creator, and from thy secret stores of divine grace bestow upon me that which is meet for me.’

“When my health was restored, I prepared the two loaves as formerly and went with them to the side of the river, in order to cast them upon the waters. On the shore I found a hundred dinars, which I took up and carried with me to the village. I there caused it to be publicly proclaimed, that if any person had lost a sum of money, he should obtain the same from me. None came forward to claim the money; I therefore laid it aside, in hopes that the real owner of it might some day appear. Next day, when I went to the river side, according to my usual mode, I threw my two loaves into the water; and another sum of a hundred dinars made its appearance on the shore. I took the money home with me, and in the same way it happened to me for ten successive days. On the eve of the eleventh day, as I was asleep, a man appeared to me in the vision of the night, saying, ‘Servant of the Almighty, thy two loaves have pleaded thy cause in heaven, and the merciful Creator has forgiven thy sins. The dinars which you receive are for thy competancy; what is not necessary for thy own support, bestow in charity upon the poor.’

“I awoke from my dream and betook myself to prayer, and rendered my thanks to the bountiful Giver. I have since built this mansion, on the door of which I have written the motto that has attracted your attention Every day I receive the sum of a hundred dinars on the shore of the river; and I occupy myself in giving it away in charity, in feeding the hungry, the poor, and the helpless stranger. Nearly a hundred years of my life still remain, and this, young stranger, is my history.”

When Hatim heard the wonderful account of this aged man, he devoutly expressed his sense of the divine mercy. After having stayed a few days, he took leave of his vener­able entertainer, and began to retrace his way to Shahabad. Having travelled a considerable distance he came to a desert, where he beheld underneath a tree two serpents in deadly contest: the one was black and loathsome, the other beautiful and graceful to view; but the black snake had the advantage in the struggle, and was on the point of killing the other. Hatim speedily approached, and raised a shout that terrified the black serpent, which let go its victim and fled. The serpent of beautiful colour being quite powerless, remained beneath the tree looking grate­fully at Hatim. The latter observing this, addressed the white snake, saying, “Fear nothing from me, I will here watch over you till you are recovered.” In the course of a few hours the serpent began to move slowly round the tree, which being done, it assumed the form of a beautiful young man.

Hatim stood wrapt in astonishment, when the youth addressing him said, “My good friend, I am of the race of the genii, and the son of their king. The black snake which you saw is my father’s slave, who bears deadly hatred towards me. To-day he happened to find the time fitting, and having transformed himself and me into serpents, he was about to slay me, when God the supreme sent you to my relief.” On hearing this Hatim rejoined, “As you are now recovered, proceed to your abode without delay: as for me I have affairs of moment.” The genius replied, “My residence is not far hence; if you will deign to honour me with a visit, nothing can be more agreeable to me.” In short, the prince of the genii conducted Hatim to his troops, and under convoy of the latter he proceeded to the prince’s palace. There he rested for the night, seated upon a throne, and charmed with musical sounds the most melodious. Next day he was presented with boundless treasures of gold and all sorts of jewels, which he rejected, saying that such things had no value in his sight. As he was about to depart from this hospitable mansion, the genii had caught the base slave that had attempted to kill the prince; and having dragged him to the place of execution, they put him to death in Hatim’s presence.

Hatim took his leave of the genii, and continued his journey till he arrived in Shahabad. He went straight to the caravanserai, where he was joyfully received by Munïr, the Syrian prince. Husn Banu’s people in the meantime conveyed to their mistress the news of Hatim’s arrival. She next day sent for him, and said, “Brave youth, this time you have been long absent: pray have you attained the object of your journey or not?”— “Praised be God,” said Hatim, “I have been quite successful.” He then detailed to Husn Banu all that he had witnessed since his departure, and particularly the history of the aged man on the banks of the river. When Husn Banu heard this wonderful adventure, she looked towards her nurse, who said, “The youth speaks truly; your second question is solved.”

Food and drink were then called for, of which Hatim and the prince of Syria partook; the former assuring the latter that through divine aid he would accomplish the solu­tion of the remaining questions. Three days were spent in discharging the rites of hospitality, at the expiration of which Hatim waited upon Husn Banu, saying, “Now, fair lady, let me hear your third question, that I may endeavour to solve it.”— “There is a man,” replied Husn Banu, “who says from experience, ‘Injure no one; if you do, evil will befall you.” Find out where that man lives, what injury he has done, and what evil has befallen him.”