THE ENCHANTED HORSE OF FIROUZ SCHAH 235 



within twenty days the head of the culprit should 

 be forfeited. 



I need not relate how Firouz Schah fared in 

 that first perilous flight of his, nor need I stop to 

 tell of his adventures in India and far-oflf Bengal, 

 to which the enchanted steed carried him. On the 

 nineteenth day, as his father the king was sitting 

 pensive and sad in his palace, the prince suddenly 

 appeared before him. The king was alarmed at 

 first, thinking that it was a ghost; but when 

 Firouz Schah spoke to him, and assured him that 

 he was alive and well, he greeted him with the 

 greatest show of affection, and begged him to re- 

 late the story of his adventures. The young man 

 gave a most romantic account of what had hap- 

 pened to him, and concluded by saying that he 

 had brought with him from the south the most 

 beautiful lady in all the world, the fair princess 

 of Bengal. She had ridden behind him on the 

 enchanted steed and was now at the king's coun- 

 try house, two leagues from the city, waiting until 

 Firouz Schah could obtain permission to lead her 

 home as his bride. 



The king was delighted at this prospect of an 

 alliance with the powerful sultan of Bengal, and 

 having again embraced his son he made proclama- 



