THE ENCHANTED HORSE OF FIROUZ SCHAH 23 1 



verse. The king was greatly delighted at his 

 success in bringing together so many inventors 

 and so complete a collection of inventions, and he 

 examined vi^ith the greatest care the various 

 machines that were submitted to his inspection. 

 The thing which attracted his attention most was 

 an artificial horse made by an ingenious Hindoo 

 — the like of which had never before been seen in 

 Persia. 



" Is he alive ? " asked the king, struck by the 

 wonderfully natural appearance of the machine. 



" He is more alive than either you or I," an- 

 swered the Hindoo; " for, while we are constantly 

 dying, and would die outright were we not sus- 

 tained by the food which we eat, he is always 

 strong and hearty, and needs no food. And he 

 is always ready for service. At my command 

 he will carry me across the broadest seas or over 

 the highest mountains, and that without any 

 fatigue." 



" That seems to be impossible," said the king. 



" I am ready to prove it to you," was the 

 answer. 



" You shall do so. Do you see yonder white 

 mountain, whose top seems to pierce the clouds, 

 and which glistens so brightly in the sunlight? 

 On the farther slope of that mountain there grows 



