He continued after this in very good humour; and when he knew that the sultan was returning, he went to meet him, and paid him his compliments with great gayety. Schahriar at first took no notice of this alteration; but politely expostulated with him, why he would not bear him company at hunting the stag; and without giving him time to reply, entertained him with a relation of the great number of deer and other game they had killed, and what pleasure he had in the sport. Schahzenan heard him with attention, gave answer to every thing, and being free from that melancholy which formerly overclouded his wit, he said a thousand agreeable and pleasant things to the sultan. Schahriar, who expected to have found him in the same state as he left him, was overjoyed to see him so cheerful, and spoke to him thus: Dear brother, I return thanks to Heaven for the happy change it has made in you during my absence; I am extremely rejoiced at it; but I have a request to make to you, and conjure you not to deny me. --I can refuse you nothing, replied the king of Tartary; you may command Schahzenan as you please; speak, I am impatient till I know what you desire of me. --Ever since you came to my court, replied Schahriar, I found you swallowed up by a deep melancholy, and I in vain attempted to remove it by all sorts of diversion. I imagined it might be occasioned by reason of your distance from your dominions, or that love might have a great share in it, and that the queen of Samarcande, who, no doubt, is an accomplished beauty, might be the cause of it. I do not know if I be mistaken; but I must own, that it was for this very reason I would not importune you upon the subject, for fear of making you uneasy. But without my having contributed any thing towards it, I find now, upon my return, that you are in the best humour that can be, and that your mind is entirely delivered from that black vapour which disturbed it. Pray do me the favour to tell me why you were so melancholy, and why you are no longer so. Upon this, the king of Tartary continued for some time, as if he had been meditating, and contriving what he should answer; but at last replied as follows: You are my sultan and master; but excuse me, I beseech you, from answering your question. --No, dear brother, said the sultan, you must answer me; I will take no denial. Schahzenan, not being able to withstand these pressing instances, answered, Well, then, brother, I will satisfy you, since you command me; and having told him the story of the queen of Samarcande’s treachery, This, says he, was the cause of my grief; judge whether I had not reason enough to give myself up to it.