“Though, according to madam, they are good for nothing but that,” added the Sultan.

“Prince,” said Mirzoza, “we stick to our fancies, and the keeping of dogs must be one, like many others, which would be no longer fancies, if we could give a reason for them. The reign of monkeys is past, the parrots still support themselves. Dogs fell, and now they rise again. Squirrels have had their time: and it is with animals, as it has successively been with Italian, English, geometry, farthingales, and furbelas.”

“Mirzoza,” replied the Sultan, shaking his head, “has not all the knowledge that may be acquired on this subject; and the Toys⁠—”

“Is not your highness going to imagine,” said the favorite, “that you will be inform’d by Haria’s Toy, why that woman, who saw her son, one of her daughters, and her husband, die without shedding a tear, wept the loss of her lapdog for a whole fortnight.”

“Why not?” replied Mangogul.