The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4

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When it was the Two Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Calamity
Ahmad cried, "O Ala al-Din, what is this deed thou hast done? The
mercy of Allah be on him who said, 'Whoso trusteth thee betray
him not, e'en if thou be a traitor.' Now the Caliph set thee in
high place about him and styled thee 'Trusty' and 'Faithful'; how
then couldst thou deal thus with him and steal his goods?" "By
the Most Great Name, O my father and chief," replied Ala al-Din,
"I had no hand in this, nor did I such deed, nor know I who did
it." Quoth Ahmad, "Of a surety none did this but a manifest enemy
and whoso doth aught shall be requited for his deed; but, O Ala
al-Din, thou canst sojourn no longer in Baghdad, for Kings, O my
son, may not pass from one thing to another, and when they go in
quest of a man, ah! longsome is his travail." "Whither shall I
go, O my chief?" asked Ala al-Din; and he answered, "O my son, I
will bring thee to Alexandria, for it is a blessed place; its
threshold is green and its sojourn is agreeable." And Ala al-Din
rejoined, "I hear and I obey, O my chief." So Ahmad said to Hasan
Shuuman, "Be mindful and, when the Caliph asketh for me, say, 'He
is gone touring about the provinces'." Then, taking Ala al-Din,
he went forth of Baghdad and stayed not going till they came to
the outlying vineyards and gardens, where they met two Jews of
the Caliph's tax-gatherers, riding on mules. Quoth Ahmad Al-Danaf
to these, "Give me the black-mail."[FN#104] and quoth they, "Why
should we pay thee black mail?" whereto he replied, "Because I am
the watchman of this valley." So they gave him each an hundred
gold pieces, after which he slew them and took their mules, one
of which he mounted, whilst Ala al-Din bestrode the other. Then
they rode on till they came to the city of Ayas[FN#105] and put
up their beasts for the night at the Khan. And when morning
dawned, Ala al-Din sold his own mule and committed that of Ahmad
to the charge of the door-keeper of the caravanserai, after which
they took ship from Ayas port and sailed to Alexandria. Here they
landed and walked up to the bazar and behold, there was a broker
crying a shop and a chamber behind it for nine hundred and fifty
dinars. Upon this Ala al-Din bid a thousand which the broker
accepted, for the premises belonged to the Treasury; and the
seller handed over to him the keys and the buyer opened the shop
and found the inner parlour furnished with carpets and cushions.
Moreover, he found there a store-room full of sails and masts,
cordage and seamen's chests, bags of beads and cowrie[FN#106]-
shells, stirrups, battle-axes, maces, knives, scissors and such
matters, for the last owner of the shop had been a dealer in
second-hand goods.[FN#107]ook his seat in the shop and Ahmad
al-Danaf said to him, "O my son, the shop and the room and that
which is therein are become thine; so tarry thou here and buy and
sell; and repine not at thy lot for Almighty Allah blesseth
trade." After this he abode with him three days and on the fourth
he took leave of him, saying, "Abide here till I go back and
bring thee the Caliph's pardon and learn who hath played thee
this trick." Then he shipped for Ayas, where he took the mule
from the inn and, returning to Baghdad met Pestilence Hasan and
his followers, to whom said he, "Hath the Caliph asked after
me?"; and he replied, "No, nor hast thou come to his thought." So
he resumed his service about the Caliph's person and set himself
to sniff about for news of Ala al-Din's case, till one day he
heard the Caliph say to the Watir, "See, O Ja'afar, how Ala
al-Din dealt with me!" Replied the Minister, "O Commander of the
Faithful, thou hast requited him with hanging and hath he not met
with his reward?" Quoth he, "O Wazir, I have a mind to go down
and see him hanging;" and the Wazir answered, "Do what thou wilt,
O Commander of the Faithful." So the Caliph, accompanied by
Ja'afar, went down to the place of execution and, raising his
eyes, saw the hanged man to be other than Ala al-Din Abu
al-Shamat, surnamed the Trusty, and said, "O Wazir, this is not
Ala al-Din!" "How knowest thou that it is not he?" asked the
Minister, and the Caliph answered, "Ala al-Din was short and this
one is tall " Quoth Ja'afar, "Hanging stretcheth." Quoth the
Caliph, "Ala al-Din was fair and this one's face is black." Said
Ja'afar "Knowest thou not, O Commander of the Faithful, that
death is followed by blackness?" Then the Caliph bade take down
the body from the gallows tree and they found the names of the
two Shaykhs, Abu Bakr and Omar, written on its heels[FN#108]
whereupon cried the Caliph, "O Wazir, Ala al Din was a Sunnite,
and this fellow is a Rejecter, a Shi'ah." He answered, "Glory be
to Allah who knoweth the hidden things, while we know not whether
this was Ala al-Din or other than he." Then the Caliph bade bury
the body and they buried it; and Ala al-Din was forgotten as
though he never had been. Such was his case; but as regards
Habzalam Bazazah, the Emir Khalid's son, he ceased not to
languish for love and longing till he died and they joined him to
the dust. And as for the young wife Jessamine, she accomplished
the months of her pregnancy and, being taken with labour-pains,
gave birth to a boy-child like unto the moon. And when her fellow
slave-girls said to her, "What wilt thou name him?" she answered,
"Were his father well he had named him; but now I will name him
Aslan."[FN#109] She gave him suck for two successive years, then
weaned him, and he crawled and walked. Now it so came to pass
that one day, whilst his mother was busied with the service of
the kitchen, the boy went out and, seeing the stairs, mounted to
the guest-chamber.[FN#110] And the Emir Khalid who was sitting
there took him upon his lap and glorified his Lord for that which
he had created and fashioned then closely eyeing his face, the
Governor saw that he was the likest of all creatures to Ala
al-Din Abu al-Shamat. Presently, his mother Jessamine sought for
him and finding him not, mounted to the guest-chamber, where she
saw the Emir seated, with the child playing in his lap, for Allah
had inclined his heart to the boy. And when the child espied his
mother, he would have thrown himself upon her; but the Emir held
him tight to his bosom and said to Jessamine, "Come hither, O
damsel." So she came to him, when he said to her, "Whose son is
this?"; and she replied, "He is my son and the fruit of my
vitals." "And who is his father?" asked the Emir; and she
answered, "His father was Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat, but now he is
become thy son." Quoth Khalid, "In very sooth Ala al-Din was a
traitor." Quoth she, "Allah deliver him from treason! the Heavens
forfend and forbid that the 'Trusty' should be a traitor!" Then
said he, "When this boy shall grow up and reach man's estate and
say to thee, 'Who is my father?' say to him, 'Thou art the son of
the Emir Khalid, Governor and Chief of Police.'" And she
answered, "I hear and I obey." Then he circumcised the boy and
reared him with the goodliest rearing, and engaged for him a
professor of law and religious science, and an expert penman who
taught him to read and write; so he read the Koran twice and
learnt it by heart and he grew up, saying to the Emir, "O my
father!" Moreover, the Governor used to go down with him to the
tilting-ground and assemble horsemen and teach the lad the
fashion of fight and fray, and the place to plant lance-thrust
and sabre-stroke; so that by the time he was fourteen years old,
he became a valiant wight and accomplished knight and gained the
rank of Emir. Now it chanced one day that Aslan fell in with
Ahmad Kamakim, the arch-thief, and accompanied him as cup-
companion to the tavern[FN#111] and behold, Ahmad took out the
jewelled lanthorn he had stolen from the Caliph and, setting it
before him, pledged the wine cup to its light, till he became
drunken. So Aslan said to him, "O Captain, give me this
lanthorn;" but he replied, "I cannot give it to thee." Asked
Aslan, "Why not?"; and Ahmad answered, "Because lives have been
lost for it." "Whose life?" enquired Aslan; and Ahmad rejoined,
"There came hither a man who was made Chief of the Sixty; he was
named Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat and he lost his life through this
lanthorn." Quoth Aslan, "And what was that story, and what
brought about his death?" Quoth Ahmad Kamakim, "Thou hadst an
elder brother by name Hahzalam Bazazah, and when he reached the
age of sixteen and was ripe for marriage, thy father would have
bought him a slave-girl named Jessamine." And he went on to tell
him the whole story from first to last of Habzalam Bazazah's
illness and what befell Ala al-Din in his innocence. When Aslan
heard this, he said in thought, "Haply this slave-girl was my
mother Jessamine, and my father was none other than Ala al-Din
Abu al-Shamat." So the boy went out from him sorrowful, and met
Calamity Ahmad, who at sight of him exclaimed, "Glory be to Him
unto whom none is like!" Asked Hasan the Pestilence, "Whereat
dost thou marvel, O my chief?" and Ahmad the Calamity replied,
"At the make of yonder boy Aslan, for he is the likest of human
creatures to Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat." Then he called the lad
and said to him, "O Aslan what is thy mother's name?"; to which
he replied, "She is called the damsel Jessamine;" and the other
said, "Harkye, Aslan, be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool
and clear; for thy father was none other than Ala al-Din Abu
al-Shamat: but, O my son, go thou in to thy mother and question
her of thy father." He said, "Hearkening and obedience," and,
going in to his mother put the question; whereupon quoth she,
"Thy sire is the Emir Khalid!" "Not so," rejoined he, "my father
was none other than Ala al-Din Abu al Shamat." At this the mother
wept and said, "Who acquainted thee with this, O my son?" And he
answered "Ahmad al-Danaf, Captain of the Guard." So she told him
the whole story, saying, "O my son, the True hath prevailed and
the False hath failed:[FN#112] know that Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat
was indeed thy sire, but it was none save the Emir Khalid who
reared thee and adopted thee as his son. And now, O my child,
when thou seest Ahmad al-Danaf the captain, do thou say to him,
'I conjure thee, by Allah, O my chief, take my blood-revenge on
the murderer of my father Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat!'" So he went
out from his mother,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Aslan went
out from his mother and, betaking himself to Calamity Ahmad,
kissed his hand. Quoth the captain, "What aileth thee, O Aslan?"
and quoth he, "I know now for certain that my father was Ali
al-Din Abu al-Shamat and I would have thee take my blood-revenge
on his murderer." He asked, "And who was thy father's murderer?"
whereto Aslan answered, "Ahmad Kamakim the arch-thief." "Who told
thee this?" enquired he, and Aslan rejoined, "I saw in his hand
the jewelled lanthorn which was lost with the rest of the
Caliph's gear, and I said to him, 'Give me this lanthorn!' but he
refused, saying, 'Lives have been lost on account of this'; and
told me it was he who had broken into the palace and stolen the
articles and deposited them in my father's house." Then said
Ahmad al-Danaf, "When thou seest the Emir Khalid don his harness
of war, say to him, 'Equip me like thyself and take me with
thee.' Then do thou go forth and perform some feat of prowess
before the Commander of the Faithful, and he will say to thee,
'Ask a boon of me, O Aslan!' And do thou make answer, 'I ask of
thee this boon, that thou take my blood-revenge on my father's
murderer.' If he say, 'Thy father is yet alive and is the Emir
Khalid, the Chief of the Police'; answer thou, 'My father was Ala
al-Din Abu al-Shamat, and the Emir Khalid hath a claim upon me
only as the foster-father who adopted me.' Then tell him all that
passed between thee and Ahmad Kamakim and say, 'O Prince of True
Believers, order him to be searched and I will bring the lanthorn
forth from his bosom.'" Thereupon said Aslan to him, "I hear and
obey;" and, returning to the Emir Khalid, found him making ready
to repair to the Caliph's court and said to him, "I would fain
have thee arm and harness me like thyself and take me with thee
to the Divan." So he equipped him and carried him thither. Then
the Caliph sallied forth of Baghdad with his troops and they
pitched tents and pavilions without the city; whereupon the host
divided into two parties and forming ranks fell to playing Polo,
one striking the ball with the mall, and another striking it back
to him. Now there was among the troops a spy, who had been hired
to slay the Caliph; so he took the ball and smiting it with the
bat drove it straight at the Caliph's face, when behold, Aslan
fended it off and catching it drove it back at him who smote it,
so that it struck him between the shoulders and he fell to the
ground. The Caliph exclaimed, "Allah bless thee, O Aslan!" and
they all dismounted and sat on chairs. Then the Caliph bade them
bring the smiter of the ball before him and said, "Who tempted
thee to do this thing and art thou friend or foe?" Quoth he, "I
am thy foe and it was my purpose to kill thee." Asked the Caliph
"And wherefore? Art not a Moslem?" Replied the spy; "No' I am a
Rejecter.''[FN#113] So the Caliph bade them put him to death and
said to Aslan, "Ask a boon of me." Quoth he, "I ask of thee this
boon, that thou take my blood-revenge on my father's murderer."
He said, "Thy father is alive and there he stands on his two
feet." "And who is he?" asked Aslan, and the Caliph answered, "He
is the Emir Khalid, Chief of Police." Rejoined Aslan, "O
Commander of the Faithful, he is no father of mine, save by right
of fosterage; my father was none other than Ala al-Din Abu al
Shamat." "Then thy father was a traitor," cried the Caliph.
"Allah forbid, O Commander of the Faithful," rejoined Aslan,
"that the 'Trusty' should be a traitor! But how did he betray
thee?" Quoth the Caliph, "He stole my habit and what was
therewith." Aslan retorted, "O Commander of the Faithful, Allah
forfend that my father should be a traitor! But, O my lord, when
thy habit was lost and found didst thou likewise recover the
lanthorn which was stolen from thee?" Answered the Caliph, "We
never got it back," and Aslan said, "I saw it in the hands of
Ahmad Kamakim and begged it of him; but he refused to give it me,
saying, 'Lives have been lost on account of this.' Then he told
me of the sickness of Habzalam Bazazah, son of the Emir Khalid,
by reason of his passion for the damsel Jessamine, and how he
himself was released from bonds and that it was he who stole the
habit and the lamp: so do thou, O Commander of the Faithful, take
my blood-revenge for my father on him who murdered him." At once
the Caliph cried, "Seize ye Ahmad Kamakim!" and they seized him,
whereupon he asked, "Where be the Captain, Ahmad al-Danaf?" And
when he was summoned the Caliph bade him search Kamakim; so he
put his hand into the thief's bosom and pulled out the lanthorn.
Said the Caliph, "Come hither, thou traitor: whence hadst thou
this lanthorn?" and Kamakim replied, "I bought it, O Commander of
the Faithful!" The Caliph rejoined, "Where didst thou buy it?"
Then they beat him till he owned that he had stolen the lanthorn,
the habit and the rest, and the Caliph said "What moved thee to
do this thing O traitor, and ruin Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat, the
Trusty and Faithful?" Then he bade them lay hands on him and on
the Chief of Police, but the Chief said, "O Commander of the
Faithful, indeed I am unjustly treated thou badest me hang him,
and I had no knowledge of this trick, for the plot was contrived
between the old woman and Ahmad Kamakim and my wife. I crave
thine intercession,[FN#114] O Aslan." So Aslan interceded for him
with the Caliph, who said, "What hath Allah done with this
youngster's mother?" Answered Khalid, "She is with me," and the
Caliph continued, "I command that thou order thy wife to dress
her in her own clothes and ornaments and restore her to her
former degree, a lady of rank; and do thou remove the seals from
Ala al-Din's house and give his son possession of his estate." "I
hear and obey," answered Khalid; and, going forth, gave the order
to his wife who clad Jessamine in her own apparel; whilst he
himself removed the seals from Ala al-Din's house and gave Aslan
the keys. Then said the Caliph, "Ask a boon of me, O Aslan;" and
he replied, "I beg of thee the boon to unite me with my father."
Whereat the Caliph wept and said, "Most like thy sire was he that
was hanged and is dead; but by the life of my forefathers, whoso
bringeth me the glad news that he is yet in the bondage of this
life, I will give him all he seeketh!" Then came forward Ahmad
al-Danaf and, kissing the ground between his hands, said, "Grant
me indemnity, O Commander of the Faithful!" "Thou hast it,"
answered the Caliph; and Calamity Ahmad said, "I give thee the
good news that Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat, the Trusty, the
Faithful, is alive and well." Quoth the Caliph "What is this thou
sayest?" Quoth Al-Danaf, "As thy head liveth I say sooth; for I
ransomed him with another, of those who deserved death; and
carried him to Alexandria, where I opened for him a shop and set
him up as a dealer in second hand goods." Then said the Prince of
True Believers,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Caliph
ordered Calamity Ahmad, saying, "I charge thee fetch him to me;"
and the other replied, "To hear is to obey;" whereupon the Caliph
bade them give him ten thousand gold pieces and he fared forth
for Alexandria. On this wise it happed with Aslan; but as regards
his father, Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat, he sold in course of time
all that was in his shop excepting a few things and amongst them
a long bag of leather. And happening to shake the bag there fell
out a jewel which filled the palm of the hand, hanging to a chain
of gold and having many facets but especially five, whereon were
names and talismanic characters, as they were ant-tracks. So he
rubbed each face; but none answered him[FN#115] and he said to
himself, "Doubtless it is a piece of variegated onyx;" and then
hung it up in the shop. And behold, a Consul[FN#116] passed along
the street; and, raising his eyes, saw the jewel hanging up; so
he seated himself over against the shop and said to Ala al-Din,
"O my lord, is the jewel for sale?" He answered, "All I have is
for sale." Thereupon the Frank said, "Wilt thou sell me that same
for eighty thousand dinars?" "Allah open!" replied Ala al-Din.
The Frank asked, "Wilt thou sell it for an hundred thousand
dinars?", and he answered, "I sell it to thee for a hundred
thousand dinars; pay me down the monies." Quoth the Consul, "I
cannot carry about such sum as its price, for there be robbers
and sharpers in Alexandria; but come with me to my ship and I
will pay thee the price and give thee to boot a bale of Angora
wool, a bale of satin, a bale of velvet and a bale of
broadcloth." So Ala al-Din rose and locked up his shop, after
giving the jewel to the Frank, and committed the keys to his
neighbour, saying, "Keep these keys in trust for me, whilst I go
with this Consul to his ship and return with the price of my
jewel. If I be long absent and there come to thee Ahmad al-Danaf,
the Captain who stablished me in this shop, give him the keys and
tell him where I am." Then he went with the Consul to his ship
and no sooner had he boarded it than the Prank set him a stool
and, making him sit down, said to his men, "Bring the money." So
they brought it and he paid him the price of the jewel and gave
him the four bales he had promised him and one over; after which
he said to him, "O my lord, honour me by accepting a bite or a
sup." And Ala al-Din answered, "If thou have any water, give me
to drink." So the Frank called for sherbets and they brought
drink drugged with Bhang, of which no sooner had Ala al-Din
drunk, than he fell over on his back; whereupon they stowed away
the chairs and shipped the shoving-poles and made sail. Now the
wind blew fair for them till it drove them into blue water, and
when they were beyond sight of land the Kaptan[FN#117] bade bring
Ala al-Din up out of the hold and made him smell the counter-drug
of Bhang; whereupon he opened his eyes and said, "Where am I?" He
replied, "Thou art bound and in my power and if thou hadst said,
Allah open! to an hundred thousand dinars for the jewel, I would
have bidden thee more." "What art thou?" asked Ala al-Din, and
the other answered, "I am a sea-captain and mean to carry thee to
my sweetheart." Now as they were talking, behold, a strip hove in
sight carrying forty Moslem merchants; so the Frank captain
attacked the vessel and made fast to it with grappling-irons;
then he boarded it with his men and took it and plundered it;
after which he sailed on with his prize, till he reached the city
of Genoa. There the Kaptan, who was carrying off Ala al-Din,
landed and repaired to a palace whose pastern gave upon the sea,
and behold, there came down to him a damsel in a chin-veil who
said, "Hast thou brought the jewel and the owner?" "I have
brought them both," answered he; and she said, "Then give me the
jewel." So he gave it to her; and, returning to the port, fired
his cannon to announce his safe return; whereupon the King of the
city, being notified of that Kaptan's arrival, came down to
receive him and asked him, "How hath been this voyage?" He
answered, "A right prosperous one, and while voyaging I have made
prize of a ship with one-and-forty Moslem merchants." Said the
King, "Land them at the port:" so he landed the merchants in
irons and Ala al-Din among the rest; and the King and the Kaptan
mounted and made the captives walk before them till they reached
the audience-chamber, when the Franks seated themselves and
caused the prisoners to pass in parade order, one by one before
the King who said to the first, "O Moslem, whence comest thou?"
He answered, "From Alexandria;" whereupon the King said, "O
headsman, put him to death." So the sworder smote him with the
sword and cut off his head: and thus it fared with the second and
the third, till forty were dead and there remained but Ala
al-Din, who drank the cup of his comrades' sighs and agony and
said to himself, "Allah have mercy on thee, O Ala al-Din Thou art
a dead man." Then said the King to him, "And thou, what
countryman art thou?" He answered, "I am of Alexandria," and the
King said, "O headsman, strike off his head." So the sworder
raised arm and sword, and was about to strike when behold, an old
woman of venerable aspect presented herself before the King, who
rose to do her honour, and said to him, "O King, did I not bid
thee remember, when the Captain came back with captives, to keep
one or two for the convent, to serve in the church?" The King
replied, "O my mother, would thou hadst come a while earlier! But
take this one that is left." So she turned to Ala al-Din and said
to him, "Say, wilt thou serve in the church, or shall I let the
King slay thee?" Quoth he, "I will serve in the church." So she
took him and carried him forth of the court and went to the
church, where he said to her, "What service must I do?" She
replied, "Thou must rise with the dawn and take five mules and go
with them to the forest and there cut dry fire-wood and saw it
short and bring it to the convent-kitchen. Then must thou take up
the carpets and sweep and wipe the stone and marble pavements and
lay the carpets down again, as they were; after which thou must
take two bushels and a half of wheat and bolt it and grind it and
knead it and make it into cracknels[FN#118] for the convent; and
thou must take also a bushel of lentils[FN#119] and sift and
crush and cook them. Then must thou fetch water in barrels and
fill the four fountains; after which thou must take three hundred
and threescore and six wooden bowls and crumble the cracknels
therein and pour of the lentil-pottage over each and carry every
monk and patriarch his bowl." Said Ala al-Din,[FN#120] "Take me
back to the King and let him kill me, it were easier to me than
this service." Replied the old woman, "If thou do truly and
rightly the service that is due from thee thou shalt escape
death; but, if thou do it not, I will let the King kill thee."
And with these words Ala al-Din was left sitting heavy at heart.
Now there were in the church ten blind cripples, and one of them
said to him, "Bring me a pot." So he brought it him and he cacked
and eased himself therein and said, "Throw away the ordure." He
did so, and the blind man said, "The Messiah's blessing be upon
thee, O servant of the church!" Presently behold, the old woman
came in and said to him, "Why hast thou not done thy service in
the church?" Answered he, "How many hands have I, that I should
suffice for all this work?" She rejoined, 'Thou fool, I brought
thee not hither except to work;" and she added, "Take, O my son,
this rod (which was of copper capped with a cross) and go forth
into the highway and, when thou meetest the governor of the city,
say to him, 'I summon thee to the service of the church, in the
name of our Lord the Messiah.' And he will not disobey thee. Then
make him take the wheat, sift, grind, bolt, knead, and bake it
into cracknels; and if any gainsay thee, beat him and fear none."
"To hear is to obey," answered he and did as she said, and never
ceased pressing great and small into his service; nor did he
leave to do thus for the space of seventeen years. Now one day as
he sat in church, lo! the old woman came to him and said, "Go
forth of the convent." He asked, "Whither shall I go?" and she
answered, "Thou canst pass the night in a tavern or with one of
thy comrades." Quoth he, "Why dost thou send me forth of the
church?" and quote she, "The Princess Husn Maryam, daughter of
Yohanna,[FN#121] King of this city, purposeth to visit the church
and it befitteth not that any abide in her way." So he made a
show of obeying her orders and rose up and pretended that he was
leaving the church; but he said in his mind, "I wonder whether
the Princess is like our women or fairer than they! At any rate I
will not go till I have had a look at her." So he hid himself in
a closet with a window looking into the church and, as he
watched, behold, in came the King's daughter. He cast at her one
glance of eyes that cost him a thousand sighs, for he found her
like the full moon when it cometh swimming out of the clouds; and
he saw with her a young lady,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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