Quoth I 'Heart，bear this loss in patience！'Patience cried'Take heed！ no patience in such plight I'm wont to show.'
Then he redoubled his weeping，and the Fireman said to him，'Weep not，but rather praise Allah for safety and recovery.'Asked Zau al-Makan，'How far is it hence to Damascus？'Answered the other，'Six days'journey.'Then quoth Zau al-Makan，'Wilt thou send me thither？''O my lord，'quoth the Stoker，'how can I allow thee to go alone，and thou a youth and a stranger to boot？If thou would journey to Damascus，I am one who will go with thee；and if my wife will listen to and obey me and accompany me，I will take up my abode there；for it is no light matter to part with thee.'
Then said he to his wife，'Wilt thou travel with me to Damascus of Syria or wilt thou abide here，whilst I lead this my lord thither and return to thee？For he is bent upon going to Damascus of Syria and，by Allah，it is hard to me to part with him，and I fear for him from highway men.'Replied she，'I will go with you both；'and he rejoined，'Praised be Allah for accord，and we have said the last word！'Then he rose and selling all his own goods and his wife's gear，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say，When it was the Fifty-fifth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Fire man and his wife agreed with Zau al-Makan to travel with him Damascus wards.Then the Stoker sold his goods and his wife's gear and bought a camel and hired an ass for Zau al-Makan；and they set out，and ceased not wayfaring for six days till they reached Damascus.And they arrived there towards eventide；when the Fireman went forth and，as was his wont，bought some meat and drink.They had dwelt but five days in Damascus，when his wife sickened and，after a short illness，was translated to the mercy of Almighty Allah.Her death was a heavy matter to Zau al-Makan，for he was grown used to her as she had tended him assiduously；and the Fireman grieved for her with excessive grief.Presently the Prince turned to the Stoker and finding him mourning，said to him，'Grieve not，for at this gate we must all go in.'Replied he，'Allah make weal thy lot，O my son！ Surely He will compensate us with His favours and cause our mourning to cease.
What sayst thou，O my son，about our walking abroad to view Damascus and cheer thy spirits？'Replied Zau al-Makan，'Thy will is mine.'So the Fireman arose and placed his hand in that of Zau al- Makan and the two walked on till they came to the stables of the Viceroy of Damascus，where they found camels laden with chests and carpets and brocaded stuffs，and horses ready saddled and Bactrian dromedaries，while Mamelukes and negro slaves and folk in a hubbub were running to and fro.Quoth Zau al-Makan，'I wonder to whom belong all these chattels and camels and stuffs！'
So he asked one of the eunuchs，'Whither this dispatching？'and he answered，'These are presents sent by the Emir of Damascus to King Omar bin al-Nu'uman，with the tribute of Syria.'Now when Zau al-Makan heard his father's name his eyes brimmed over with tears，and he began repeating，'Oh ye gone from the gaze of these ridded eyne，Ye whose sight in my spirit shall ever dwell！
Your charms are gone，but this heart of me Hath no sweet，and no pleasures its sour dispel；If Allah's grace make us meet again，In long drawn love-tale my love I'll tell.'
And when he had ended his verse，he wept and the Fireman said to him，'O my son，we hardly believed that thy health had returned；[238] so take heart and do not weep，for I fear a relapse for thee.'And he ceased not comforting and cheering him，whilst Zau al-Makan sighed and moaned over his strangerhood and separation from his sister and his family；and tears streamed from his eyes and he recited these couplets，'Get thee provaunt in this world ere thou wend upon thy way，
And know how surely Death descends thy life lot to waylay：
All thy worldly goods are pride and the painfullest repine；All thy worldly life is vexing，of thy soul in vain display：
Say is not worldly wone like a wanderer's place of rest，Where at night he 'nakhs'[239] his camels and moves off at dawn of day？'
And he continued to weep and wail over his separation；whilst the Fireman also bewept the loss of his wife，yet ceased not to comfort Zau al-Makan till morning dawned.When the sun rose，he said to him，'Meseemeth thou yearnest for thy native land？'
'Yes，'replied Zau al-Makan，'and I can no longer tarry here；so I will commend thee to Allah's care and set out with these folk and journey with them，little by little，till I come to my mother land.'Said the Stoker，'And I with thee；for of a truth I cannot bear to part with thee.I have done thee kindly service and I mean to complete it by tending thee on thy travel.'At this，Zau al-Makan rejoiced and said，'Allah abundantly requite thee for me！'and was pleased with the idea of their travelling together.
The Fireman at once went forth and bought another ass，selling the camel；and laid in his provaunt and said to Zau al-Makan，'This is for thee to ride by the way；and，when thou art weary of riding，thou canst dismount and walk.'Said Zau al-Makan，'May Allah bless thee and aid me to requite thee！for verily thou hast dealt with me more lovingly than one with his brother.'Then he waited till it was dark night，when he laid the provisions and baggage on that ass and set forth upon their journey.This much befel Zau al-Makan and the Fireman；but as regards what happened to his sister Nuzhat al-Zaman，when she left her brother in the Khan where they abode and，wrapped in the old camlet，went out to seek service with some one，that she might earn wherewithal to buy him the roast meat he longed for，she fared on，weeping and knowing not whither to go，whilst her mind was occupied with thoughts of her brother and of her family and her native land.
