“O, my dear lord,” said the wily maiden, “I have been burning for your love. Ever since you have gone away I have uttered no name but yours, and I am yours still if you tell me your secret.”
The lad was deceived by her artful words and told her the secret of the cap. A banquet was given to the lad, poisonous wine was served to him, and the cap being taken from him he was expelled from the house, with disgrace. He came back to Bagdad, begging his way. He had no heart to go again to his mother. He entreated the intervention of friends and kinsfolk, who persuaded the mother and reconciled her with her prodigal son. He begged his mother for a third secret from his father’s chamber.
“But one secret is left,” she said. “If you lose this one also, we shall become hungry and naked, and become paupers.”
She gave the lad a horn, and told him to blow it. The lad blew it, and lo! the mountains and plains were covered with soldiers.
“Now,” she said, “blow it from the other end.”
He did so, and lo! the army disappeared.
“Mamma,” said the lad, “now let me go, fight with my enemies and bring back all that I have lost.”
Thus speaking he set out without waiting for an answer. As soon as he arrived at Tiflis, he stood upon the hilltop near the city and blew the horn. In the twinkling of an eye the city was besieged by an army so great that there was no room left for the soldiers to stand on. There was a sudden panic in the city; all the people were terrified. The King sent messengers to the lad, asking him what he wanted.
“War! War!” exclaimed the lad. “Who do you think I am?”
They recognized him and saw that he was the lad of Bagdad. Thereupon the King called his daughter, saying: