Replied Aziz，'And I am of like mind and fain would I die under thy feet： but，O my brother，my heart is concerned for my mother.'When we shall have won our wish，'said the Prince，'there will be naught save what is well！'Now the Wazir continued charging Taj alMuluk to be patient，whilst Aziz entertained him every evening with talk and recited poetry to him and diverted him with histories and anecdotes.And so they fared on diligently night and day for two whole months，till the way became tedious to Taj alMuluk and the fire of desire redoubled on him； and he broke out，'The road is lonesome； grow my grief and need，While on my breast love fires for ever feed：
Goal of my hopes，sole object of my wish！ By him who moulded man from drop o' seed，I bear such loads of longing for thy love，Dearest，as weight of al Shumm Mounts exceed：
O 'Lady of my World'[12] Love does me die； No breath of life is left for life to plead；But for the union hope that lends me strength，My weary limbs were weak this way to speed.'
When he had finished his verses，he wept （and Aziz wept with him）
from a wounded heart，till the Minister was moved to pity by their tears and said，'O my lord，be of good cheer and keep thine eyes clear of tears； there will be naught save what is well！'
Quoth Taj alMuluk，'O Wazir，indeed I am weary of the length of the way.Tell me how far we are yet distant from the city.'
Quoth Aziz，'But a little way remaineth to us.'Then they continued their journey，cutting across river vales and plains，words and stony wastes，till one night，as Taj alMuluk was sleeping，he dreamt that his beloved was with him and that he embraced her and pressed her to his bosom； and he awoke quivering，shivering with pain，delirious with emotion，and improvised these verses，'Dear friend，my tears aye flow these cheeks adown，With longsome pain and pine，my sorrow's crown：
I plain like keening woman child bereft，And as night falls like widow dove I groan：
An blow the breeze from land where thou cost wone，I find o'er sunburnt earth sweet coolness blown.
Peace be wi' thee，my love，while zephyr breathes，And cushat flies and turtle makes her moan.'
And when he had ended his versifying，the Wazir came to him and said，'Rejoice； this is a good sign： so be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear，for thou shalt surely compass thy desire.'And Aziz also came to him and exhorted him to patience and applied himself to divert him，talking with him and telling him tales.So they pressed on，marching day and night，other two months，till there appeared to them one day at sunrise some white thing in the distance and Taj alMuluk said to Aziz，'What is yonder whiteness？'He replied，'O my lord！ yonder is the Castle of Crystal and that is the city thou seekest.'At this the Prince rejoiced，and they ceased not faring forwards till they drew near the city and，as they approached it，Taj alMuluk joyed with exceeding joy，and his care ceased from him.They entered in trader guise，the King's son being habited as a merchant of importance； and repaired to a great Khan，known as the Merchants'Lodging.Quoth Taj alMuluk to Aziz，'Is this the resort of the merchants？'； and quoth he，'Yes； 'tis the Khan wherein I lodged before.'So they alighted there and making their baggage camels kneel，unloaded them and stored their goods in the warehouses.[13] They abode four days for rest； when the Wazir advised that they should hire a large house.To this they assented and they found them a spacious house，fitted up for festivities，where they took up their abode，and the Wazir and Aziz studied to devise some device for Taj alMuluk，who remained in a state of perplexity，knowing not what to do.Now the Minister could think of nothing but that he should set up as a merchant on 'Change and in the market of fine stuffs； so he turned to the Prince and his companion and said to them，'Know ye that if we tarry here on this wise，assuredly we shall not win our wish nor attain our aim； but a something occurred to me whereby （if Allah please！） we shall find our advantage.'Replied Taj alMuluk and Aziz，'Do what seemeth good to thee，indeed there is a blessing on the grey beard； more specially on those who，like thyself，are conversant with the conduct of affairs： so tell us what occurreth to thy mind.'Rejoined the Wazir 'It is my counsel that we hire thee a shop in the stuff bazar，where thou mayst sit to sell and buy.Every one，great and small，hath need of silken stuffs and other cloths； so if thou patiently abide in thy shop，thine affairs will prosper，Inshallah！ more by token as thou art comely of aspect.Make，however，Aziz thy factor and set him within the shop，to hand thee the pieces of cloth and stuffs.'When Taj alMuluk heard these words，he said，'This rede is right and a right pleasant recking.'So he took out a handsome suit of merchant's weed，and，putting it on，set out for the bazar，followed by his servants，to one of whom he had given a thousand dinars，wherewith to fit up the shop.They ceased not walking till they came to the stuff market，and when the merchants saw Taj alMuluk's beauty and grace，they were confounded and went about saying，'Of a truth Rizwan[14] hath opened the gates of Paradise and left them unguarded，so that this youth of passing comeliness hath come forth.'And others，'Peradventure this is one of the angels.'Now when they went in among the traders they asked for the shop of the Overseer of the market and the merchants directed them thereto.So they delayed not to repair thither and to salute him，and he and those who were with him rose to them and seated them and made much of them，because of the Wazir，whom they saw to be a man in years and of reverend aspect； and viewing the youths Aziz and Taj alMuluk in his company，they said to one another，'Doubtless our Shaykh is the father of these two youths.
