“Alas! my lord,” replied the young man, “how is it possible but I should grieve, and my eyes be inexhaustible fountains of tears?” At these words, lifting up his robe, he shewed the sultan that he was a man only from the head to the girdle, and that the other half of his body was black marble. The sultan was much surprised, when he saw the deplorable condition of the young man. “That which you shew me,” said he, “while it fills me with horror, excites my curiosity, so that I am impatient to hear your history, which, no doubt, must be extraordinary,
made him think it inclosed something precious. To try this, he took a knife, and opened it with very little labour. He turned the mouth downward, but nothing came out; which surprised him extremely. He placed it before him, but while he viewed it attentively, there came out a very thick smoke, which obliged him to retire two or three paces back.