Hasan ceased not to weep till dawn of the sixth day, when Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh came forth to him, clad in white raiment, and with his hand signed[114] to him to enter. So he went in, rejoicing and assured of the winning of his wish, and the old man took him by the hand and leading him into the cavern, fared on with him half a day’s journey, till they reached an arched doorway with a door of steel. The Shaykh opened the door and they two entered a vestibule vaulted with onyx stones and arabesqued with gold, and they stayed not walking till they came to a great hall and a wide, paved and walled with marble. In its midst was a flower-garden containing all manner trees and flowers and fruits, with birds warbling on the boughs and singing the praises of Allah the Almighty Sovran; and there were four daïses, each facing other, and in each daïs a jetting fountain, at whose corners stood lions of red gold, spouting gerbes from their mouths into the basin. On each daïs stood a chair, whereon sat an elder, with exceeding store of books before him[115] and censers of gold, containing fire and perfumes, and before each elder were students, who read the books to him. Now when the twain entered, the elders rose to them and did them honour; whereupon Abu al-Ruwaysh signed to them to dismiss their scholars and they did so. Then the four arose and seating themselves before that Shaykh, asked him of the case of Hasan to whom he said, “Tell the company thy tale and all that hath betided thee from the beginning of thine adventure to the end.” So Hasan wept with sore weeping and related to them his story with Bahram; whereupon all the Shaykhs cried out and said, “Is this indeed he whom the Magian caused to climb the Mountain of Clouds by means of the vultures, sewn up in the camel-hide?” And Hasan said, “Yes.” So they turned to the Shaykh, Abu al-Ruwaysh and said to him, “O our Shaykh of a truth Bahram contrived his mounting to the mountain-top; but how came he down and what marvels saw he there?” And Abu al-Ruwaysh said, “O Hasan, tell them how thou camest down and acquaint them with what thou sawest of marvels.” So he told them all that had befallen him, first and last; how he had gotten the Magian into his power and slain him, how he had delivered the youth from him and sent him back to his own country, and how he had captured the King’s daughter of the Jinn and married her; yet had she played him false and taken the two boys she had borne him and flown away; brief, he related to them all the hardships and horrors he had undergone; whereat they marvelled, each and every, and said to Abu al-Ruwaysh, “O elder of elders, verily by Allah, this youth is to be pitied! But belike thou wilt aid him to recover his wife and wees.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.