He went about in the city , saw the tent and the drums , and then went out again to a village not far off . Here he found out a very old man who had a wife 120 years old , or rather more . Their lives were coming to their end , but they had never beheld face of child of their own . They were glad when the prince came to their house , and they dealt with him as with a son . He put all his belongings into their charge , and fastened his horse in their out-house . Then he asked them not to speak of him to anyone , and to keep his affairs secret . He exchanged his royal dress for another , and next morning , just as the sun looked forth from its eastern oratory , he went again into the city . He turned over in his mind without ceasing how he was to find out the meaning of the riddle , and to give them a right answer , and who could help him , and how to avenge his brothers . He wandered about the city , but heard nothing of service , for there was no one in all that land who understood the riddle of Princess Mihr-afruz . One day he thought he would go to her own palace and see if he could learn anything there , so he went out to her garden-house . It was a very splendid place , with a wonderful gateway , and walls like Alexander 's ramparts . Many gate-keepers were on guard , and there was no chance of passing them . His heart was full of bitterness , but he said to himself : ` All will be well ! it is here I shall get what I want . ' He went round outside the garden wall hoping to find a gap , and he made supplication in the Court of Supplications and prayed , ' O Holder of the hand of the helpless ! show me my way . ' While he prayed he bethought himself that he could get into the garden with a stream of inflowing water . He looked carefully round , fearing to be seen , stripped , slid into the stream and was carried within the great walls . There he hid himself till his loin cloth was dry . The garden was a very Eden , with running water amongst its lawns , with flowers and the lament of doves and the jug-jug of nightingales .
It was a place to steal the senses from the brain , and he XXXXX about and saw the house , but there seemed to be no one there .
asked coming fearing give inflowing keep passing running thought wandered