CHAPTER IV
The Release
While all this was taking place, Prince Abderraman was riding the wide world over, with his sword at his side and his staff in his hand. There was not a mountain in Asia, not a desert in Africa, nor a field, town or city in Southern or Middle Europe which he had not traversed in vain. But what had he to hope for in Europe? No tigers are found there except the tame ones exhibited in the city menageries; and among them there was no Ahriman! Sorrow drew the prince back on the way to Persia, and his trusty dog, Valledivau, accompanied him.
One day the dog hunted a wild duck among the reeds of a lake, captured it and carried it alive to his master. Just as the prince was about to kill it, the duck quacked out:
"Spare my life, and I will tell you something!"
"I will spare your life, wonderful bird," the prince exclaimed, astonished. "What have you to tell me?"
"Ride to Lapland!" quacked the duck, at the same time escaping into the water.
Lapland! The prince had never even heard of such a kingdom. When he inquired about it and how he should find it, people answered:
"Ride northward, steadily northward; and stop not until the road ends, the forest ends, and you no more find a human dwelling with builded hearth."
"Wonderful!" thought the prince, and he followed the advice. He rode northward, steadily northward; stopping not until the road came to an end, the forest came to an end, and no human dwelling was to be seen but one lone movable tent.