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By Root 29686 0

making merry, the sultan and his vizier entered, but in different disguises from those they had worn on the former night. They brought with them a strong confection of opium, which they presented to their hosts, who, highly delighted, greedily devoured it, and such were the effects that they became madder than ever. At length, the fisherman starting up, exclaimed, "The sultan is deposed, and I am sovereign in his stead." "Suppose the sultan should hear thee," replied the prince. "If he opposes me," cried the fisherman, "I will order my bashaw to strike off his head; but I will now punish thee for thy insolent question." He then ran up and seized the sultan by the nose, the cauzee at the same time attacking the vizier: it was with difficulty that they made their escape from the house.

The sultan, notwithstanding his tweak by the nose, resolved to divert himself further with the bang-eaters, and the next evening putting on a fresh disguise, repaired to the cauzee's house with his vizier; where he found the happy companions in high glee. They had taken it into their heads to dance, which they did with such vehemence, and for so long a time, that at length they fell down with fatigue. When they had rested a little, the fisherman perceiving the sultan, said, "Whence comest thou?" "We are strangers," replied the sultan, "and only reached this city to-night; but on our way through the streets, hearing your mirth, we made bold to enter, that we might participate it with you. Are ye not, however, fearful lest the sultan should hear you on his rounds, and punish you for an infringement of the laws?" "How should the sultan hear us?" answered the fisherman; "he is in his palace, and we in our own house, though, perhaps, much merrier than he, poor fellow, with the cares of state upon his mind, notwithstanding his splendour."

"How comes it," rejoined the sovereign, "that you have not visited the sultan? for you are merry fellows, and I think he would encourage you." "We fear," replied the fisherman, "his guards would beat us away." "Never mind them," said the sultan; "if you choose I will give you a letter of recommendation, which I am sure he will pay attention to, for we were intimate when youths." "Let us have it," cried the fisherman. The sultan wrote a note, directed to himself, and departed.

In the morning the cauzee and the fisherman repaired to the palace, and delivered the note to one of the guards, who, on sight of it, placed it on his head, prostrated himself to the ground, and then introduced them to the sultan. Having read the letter, the sultan commanded them to be led into separate apartments, and to be treated respectfully. At noon a handsome collation was served up to each, and at sunset a full service, after which they were presented with coffee. When about two hours of the night had passed, the sultan ordered them into his presence, and on their making their obeisance returned their salutes, and desired them to be seated, saying, "Where is the person who gave you this letter?"

"Mighty sultan," replied the fisherman, "two men who last night visited our house inquired why we did not repair to your majesty, and partake of your bounty. We replied, that we feared the guards would drive us away; when one of them gave us this note, saying, 'Fear not; take this recommendation to the sultan, with whom in my youth I was intimate.' We followed his direction, and have found his words to be true. We inquired whence they came; but they would not tell us more than that they were strangers in this city." "It is," continued the sultan, "absolutely necessary that you should bring them to my presence, for it is long since I have beheld my old friends." "Permit us then to return home, where they may possibly visit us again," said the fisherman, "and we will oblige them to come with us." "How can you do that," replied the sultan, "when the other evening you could not prevent your guest escaping, though you had him by the nose?"

The poor fisherman, and his companion the cauzee, were now confounded at the discovery that it was the sultan