By this time the night had overtaken him and he sat on the rooftill he was assured that all in the palace slept；and indeed hunger and thirst were sore upon himfor that he had not tasted food since he parted from his father. So he said in himself'Surelythe like of this palace will not lack of victual，'and leaving the horse therewent in quest of somewhat to eat. Presentlyhe came to a stair and descending itfound himself in a court paved with white marble and alabasterthat shone in the light of the moon. He marvelled at the place and the goodliness of its fashionbut heard no sound and saw no living soul and stood in perplexitylooking right and left and knowing not whither he should go. Then said he to himself'I cannot do better than return to where I left my horse and pass the night by it；and as soon as it is dayI will mount and depart.'Howeveras he stood talking to himselfhe espied a light within the palaceand making towards itfound that it came from a candle that stood before a door of the palaceat the head of an eunuchas he were one of the Afrits of Solomon or a tribesman of the Jinnlonger than a plank and wider than a bench. He lay asleep before the doorwith the pommel of his sword gleaming in the flame of the candleand at his head was a budget of leather hanging from a column of granite.
When the prince saw thishe was affrighted and said'I crave help from God the Supreme！ O my Godeven as Thou hast [already] delivered me from destructionvouchsafe me strength to quit myself of the adventure of this palace！'So sayinghe put out his hand to the budget and taking itcarried it to a place apart and opened it and found in it food of the best. So he ate his fill and refreshed himself and drank waterafter which he hung the budget up in its place and drawing the eunuch's sword from its sheathtook itwhilst the latter slept onknowing not whence destiny should come to him. Then the prince fared on into the palacetill he came to another doorwith a curtain drawn before it；so he raised the curtain and enteringsaw a couch of ivoryinlaid with pearls and jacinths and jewelsand four slave-girls sleeping about it. He went up to the couchto see what was thereinand found a young lady lying asleepveiled with her hairas she were the full moon at its risingwith flower-white forehead and shining parting and cheeks like blood-red anemones and dainty moles thereon.