“ But I, O my lord, became like a madman and ran through the streets as one frantic crying, "Ah her loveliness! Ah her stature! Ah her perfect grace! Ah her ornaments!" Hereupon the folk seeing me and hearing me say these words shouted out, "Yonder is a lunatic;" so they seized me perforce and jailed me in the madhouse as thou hast seen me, O our lord the Sultan. They say, "This man is Jinn-mad;" but, by Allah, I am no maniac, O my lord, and such is my tale. ”

“ Then quoth the Sultan, "'Tis well, O Wazir, I know that patience is praiseworthy and fretfulness is blameworthy, for indeed quoth the poet:?
When Time shall turn on thee, have patience for 'tis best of plight: * Ease shall pursue unease and naught but suffrance make it light;'
and by Allah, O Wazir, human nature is never free from sad thought and remembrance. Verily that damsel pleased me and I delighted in her; nor can I ever think to find one like her in beauty and loveliness." ”

“ She continued to enjoy herself in the gladsomest way till at length I was emboldened to say to her, "O my lady, an thy words to me be after the fashion of thy will, remember the proverb, 'When a kindness is to be done, this is its time.'" "By Allah, O youth, there cannot be a more fortunate day than this present." "O my lady, what shall I apportion to thee for dowry?" "The dowry hath been paid to me in the value of the stuffs which thou entrustedst to this ancient dame who is my mother!" ”

“ By Allah, O King of the Age, thou art the Sultan and that is the Minister." The Sovran asked, "What cause hast thou for supposing this?" and she answered, "From your grand demeanour and your majestic mein; for such be the qualities of Kings which cannot be concealed." Quoth the Monarch, "Thou hast spoken sooth; but, tell me, how happeneth it that you wone here without men protectors?" and quoth she, "O my lord the King, our history is wondrous and were it graven with graver-needles upon the eye-corners it were a warning to whoso would be warned." ”

“ The Sultan asked, "And what is the quality which thou blamest?" and the Sharper answered, "Its sire was noble, but its dam was of other strain: she it was that brought the blemish and if thou, O my lord, allow me I will notify it to thee." "'Tis well, and needs must thou declare it," quoth the Sultan. Then said the Sharper, "Its dam is a buffalo-cow."33 When the King heard these words he was wroth with wrath exceeding and he bade the Linkman take the Sharper and behead him, crying, "O dog! O accursed! How can a buffalo-cow bear a horse?" ”

“ So they led him in and set him standing in her presence and the Sharper considered her for a while looking from right to left; then he fared forth to the Sultan who asked him, "What hast thou seen in the Queen?" Answered he, "O my lord, I saw a somewhat adorned with loveliness and beauty and perfect grace, with fair stature of symmetrical trace and with modesty and fine manners and skilful case; and she is one in whom all good qualities appear on every side, nor is aught of accomplishments or knowledge concealed from her and haply in her centre all desirable attributes. ”

“ The other enquired, "And if the Sultan summon us what wilt thou say to him?" "By Allah, I will tell him a tale which befel myself and crave of him ten Faddahs wherewithal to buy Bhang!" "And hast thou any skill in tale-telling?" "In good sooth I have!" "But how wilt thou despose the Sultan and reign in his stead?" "I will say to him 'Be off!' and he will go." "He will strike thy neck." "Nay, the Sultan is pitiful and will not punish me for my words." ”

“ But when he had perfected his intent he entered to the Sultan and kissing ground between his hands and having prayed for his glory and permanence, said, "O King of the Age, deign open the lattices of thy Palace!" So he went to them and threw them open when lo and behold, he found in lieu of the mound a mighty fine garden wherein were trees and rills and blooms and birds hymning the praises of their Creator; moreover he saw in that garden a palace, an edifice choice-builded of base which is not to be found with any King or Kaysar. ”

“ When I beheld her, O my lord the Sultan, my right senses left me and my wits fled me and I was astounded at her loveliness and her stature and her symmetric grace as she swayed to and fro in her pride of beauty and gladsome spirits amongst those damsels and laughed and sported with them. At last she cried aloud, "O mother mine!" when the ancient dame answered her call and she asked her, "Hast thou brought the young man?" The old woman replied, "Yes, he is present between thy hands;" and the fair lady said, "Bring him hither to me!" ”

“ She answered, "O my aunt, I'm fallen from the skies and have been met by the earth: thou needest not question me of aught, for my heart is clean molten by the fire of grief. An thou take me in for love and kindness 'tis well and if not I will again fare forth on my wanderings." When the old woman heard these words she compassioned the maiden and her heart felt tender towards her, and she cried, "Welcome to thee, O my daughter, sit thee down!" ”

“ But said the Sultan, "O Wazir, verily all this world is a transitory, and naught remaineth to any save to seek the face of Allah the Beneficent: withal the like of me may never more escape from cark and care, seeing that I have lived for this length of time and that I have not been blessed with or son or daughter, for verily children are the ornament of the world." ”

“ He was forthright distracted by her beauty and loveliness and fell sick and took to his pillow. Presently a confidential nurse came in and feeling his pulse, which showed no malady, said to him, "No harm for thee! thou shalt soon be well nor ever suffer from aught of sorrow." Quoth he, "O my nurse, canst thou keep a secret?" and quoth she, "I can." Then he told her all the love he had conceived for my mother and she replied, "This be a light affair nor hath it aught of hindrance: I will manage for thee such matter and I will soon unite thee with her." ”

“ Quoth the Sultan, "Needs must thou address them;" so the Wazir said to the girl, "O noble one, obedience to the royal orders is incumbent upon you as upon all lieges." Said she, "True, he is our Sovran; but how can he know whether we be starving or full-fed?" "Let us see," rejoined the Wazir, "when he shall send for you and set you before the presence and question you concerning your disobeying his orders, what thou wilt say?" She retorted, "I would say to the Sultan, 'Thou hast contraried Holy Law.'" At this the Minister resumed, "An he ask thee sundry questions wilt thou answer them?" ”

“ Presently the whole court gathered together to gaze at him in wonderment and the tidings soon reached the Queen who sent an Eunuch to fetch him and introduce him into the Serraglio. The women all admired the prodigy and the Princess looked at him and he looked at her; so his fascination increased upon him and he said in his secret soul, "An I wed her not I will slay myself!" After this the youth was dismissed by the Sultan's Harim and he, whose heart burned with love for the King's daughter, returned home. The Shaykh asked him, "Hast thou, O my son, seen the Princess?" ”

“ Suddenly the Princess presented herself before him a-weeping and with tears down her cheeks a-creeping, when he said to her, "O my lady, there is no harm for thee." Said she, "O youth, by Allah! thou wastest thy life to no purpose and seekest thy death without cause, so rise up and save thyself, for the Elephant will be here this very hour." ”

“ Thereupon he asked her, "What hath been thy business with this young man?" So she told him her tale from first to last and he said, "O my lady, the King commandeth that he enter and quit the premises as before and that he come hither without his eyes being bandaged with the kerchief." She obeyed and said, "The commandments of our lord the Sultan shall be carried out." Such was the history of that youth whom the Sultan heard reading the Koran in the Máristán, the public madhouse: but as regards the second Lunatic who sat listening, the Sultan asked him, "And thou, the other, what be thy tale?" ”

“ So the other enquired, "How didst thou know us and who told thee of us and of our weakly wits?" Quoth the King, "'Twas the Darwaysh who went in to you on such a night;" and quoth the broken-backed man, "Allah slay all the Darwayshes who be tattlers and tale-carriers!" Thereupon the Sultan turned to the Wazir and laughing said, "We will not reproach them for aught: rather let us make fun of them," adding to the man, "Recite, O Shaykh." ”

“ After an hour or so he recovered and turning to the Wazir said, "Tell me, hast thou spoken sooth?" and the other replied, "Yes, I have." Then the Sultan addressed the two Chamberlains and asked them, "Have ye put to death my daughters with their mother?" But they remained silent nor made aught of answer or address. So he exclaimed, "What is on your minds that ye speak not?" They rejoined, "By Allah, O King of the Age, the honest man cannot tell an untruth for that lying and leasing are the characteristics of hypocrites and traitors." ”