The Most High God gave me seven sons who grew up well versed in all princely arts . My eldest son heard from travellers that in Turkistan , on the Chinese frontier , there is a king named Quimus , the son of Timus , and that he has an only child , a daughter named Mihr-afruz , -LSB- 5 -RSB- who , under all the azure heaven , is unrivalled for beauty . Princes come from all quarters to ask her hand , and on one and all she imposes a condition . She says to them : `` I know a riddle ; and I will marry anyone who answers it , and will bestow on him all my possessions . But if a suitor can not answer my question I cut off his head and hang it on the battlements of the citadel . '' The riddle she asks is , `` What did the rose do to the cypress ? '' ` Now , when my son heard this tale , he fell in love with that unseen girl , and he came to me lamenting and bewailing himself . Nothing that I could say had the slightest effect on him . I said : `` Oh my son ! if there must be fruit of this fancy of yours , I will lead forth a great army against King Quimus . If he will give you his daughter freely , well and good ; and if not , I will ravage his kingdom and bring her away by force . '' This plan did not please him ; he said : `` It is not right to lay a kingdom waste and to destroy a palace so that I may attain my desire . I will go alone ; I will answer the riddle , and win her in this way . '' At last , out of pity for him , I let him go . He reached the city of King Quimus . He was asked the riddle and could not give the true answer ; and his head was cut off and hung upon the battlements . Then I mourned him in black raiment for forty days . After this another and another of my sons were seized by the same desire , and in the end all my seven sons went , and all were killed . In grief for their death I have abandoned my throne , and I abide here in this desert , withholding my hand from all State business and wearing myself away in sorrow . ' Prince Tahmasp listened to this tale , and then the arrow of love for that unseen girl struck his heart also .
Just at this moment XXXXX his ill-fate his people came up , and gathered round him like moths round a light .
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