Page 151 - Bulbul Hezar

information of the place he was going to, stopped when he
came near the dervise, and alighted from off his horse, to be the

more conformable to the directions the religious woman had
given the princess Parizade, and leading his horse by the bridle,
advanced towards him, and saluting him, said, God prolong
your days, good father, and fulfil your desires.
The dervise returned the prince's salute, but so unintelligibly,
that he could not understand one word he said. Prince Bahman
perceiving that this obstruction of speech proceeded from the

dervise's mustachoes hanging over his mouth, and at the same
time unwilling to go any farther without the instructions he
wanted, he pulled out a pair of scissars he had about him,
having tied his horse fast to a tree, and said to the dervise,
Honest friend, I want to have some talk with you, but your
mustachoes prevent my understanding what you say; and if you
will consent, I will cut off some part of them and your eye-
brows, which disfigure you so much, that you look more like a
bear than a man.

The dervise never opposed the prince, but let him do what he
would; and when the prince had cut off as much hair as he
thought fit, he perceived that the dervise had a good clear fresh
skin, and that he was not so old as he appeared to be. Honest
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