So , after a few days ' rest , the caravan started off once more for Khaistan . The moment the king of Khaistan saw the gorgeous train of men and beasts entering his palace courtyard , he was so amazed that he hurried down in person to inquire about it , and became dumb when he heard that these also were a present from the princely Wali Dad , and were for the princess , his daughter . He went hastily off to her apartments , and said to her : ' I tell you what it is , my dear , this man wants to marry you ; that is the meaning of all these presents ! There is nothing for it but that we go and pay him a visit in person . He must be a man of immense wealth , and as he is so devoted to you , perhaps you might do worse than marry him ! ' The princess agreed with all that her father said , and orders were issued for vast numbers of elephants and camels , and gorgeous tents and flags , and litters for the ladies , and horses for the men , to be prepared without delay , as the king and princess were going to pay a visit to the great and munificent prince Wali Dad . The merchant , the king declared , was to guide the party . The feelings of the poor merchant in this sore dilemma can hardly be imagined . Willingly would he have run away ; but he was treated with so much hospitality as Wali Dad 's representative , that he hardly got an instant 's real peace , and never any opportunity of slipping away . In fact , after a few days , despair possessed him to such a degree that he made up his mind that all that happened was fate , and that escape was impossible ; but he hoped devoutly some turn of fortune would reveal to him a way out of the difficulties which he had , with the best intentions , drawn upon himself . On the seventh day they all started , amidst thunderous salutes from the ramparts of the city , and much dust , and cheering , and blaring of trumpets . Day after day they moved on , and every day the poor merchant felt more ill and miserable . He wondered what kind of death the king would invent for him , and went through almost as much torture , as he lay awake nearly the whole of every night thinking over the situation , as he would have suffered if the king 's executioners were already setting to work upon his neck . At last they were only one day 's march from Wali Dad 's little mud home . Here a great encampment was made , and the merchant was sent on to tell Wali Dad that the King and Princess of Khaistan had arrived and were seeking an interview . When the merchant arrived he found the poor old man eating his evening meal of onions and dry bread , and when he told him of all that had happened he had not the heart to proceed to load him with the reproaches which rose to his tongue . For Wali Dad was overwhelmed with grief and shame for himself , for his friend , and for the name and honour of the princess ; and he wept and plucked at his beard , and groaned most piteously . With tears he begged the merchant to detain them for one day by any kind of excuse he could think of , and to come in the morning to discuss what they should do . As soon as the merchant was gone Wali Dad made up his mind that there was only one honourable way out of the shame and distress that he had created by his foolishness , and that was -- to kill himself . So , without stopping to ask any one 's advice , he went off in the middle of the night to a place where the river wound along at the base of steep rocky cliffs of great height , and determined to throw himself down and put an end to his life .
When he got to the place he drew back a few paces , took a little run , and at the very edge XXXXX that dreadful black gulf he stopped short !
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