The Three Hundred and Seventieth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the damsel continued:?So the young man's mother made certain that her servant lad was a virgin lass. But she concealed her secret from her son and was kind to me and showed me respect and, of the goodness of her heart, sent me back early to my mother and sisters. Now one day of the days the youth came home about noon as was his wont; and he found me with sleeves tucked up to the elbows engaged in washing a bundle of shirts and turbands; and I was careless of myself so he drew near me and noted my cheeks that flushed rosy red and eyes which were as those of the thirsty gazelle and my scorpion locks hanging adown my side face. This took place in summertide; and when he saw me thus his wits were distraught and his sound senses were as naught and his judgment was in default: so he went in to his parent and said to her, "O my mother, indeed this servant is no boy, but a maiden girl and my wish is that thou discover for me her case and make manifest to me her condition and marry me to her, for that my heart is fulfilled of her love." Now by the decree of the Decreer I was privily listening to all they said of me; so presently I arose, after washing the clothes and what else they had given me; but my state was changed by their talk and I knew and felt certified that the youth and his mother had recognised me for a girl. I continued on this wise till eventide when I took the food and returned to my family and they all ate till they had eaten enough, when I told them my adventure and my conviction. So my mother said to me, "What remaineth for us now to do?" and said I, "O my mother, let us arise, we three, before night shall set in and go forth ere they lock the Khan upon us;[164] and if the door-keeper ask us aught let us answer, 'We are faring to spend the night in the house of the youth where our son is serving.'" My mother replied, "Right indeed is thy rede." Accordingly, all four of us went forth at the same time and when the porter asked, "This is night-tide and whither may ye be wending?" we answered, "We have been invited by the young man whom our son serveth for he maketh a Septena-festival[165] and a bridal-feast: so we purpose to night with him and return a-morn." Quoth he, "There is no harm in that." So we issued out and turned aside and sought the waste lands, the Veiler veiling us, and we ceased not walking till the day brake and we were sore a-wearied. Then we sat for rest till the rise of sun and when it shone we four sprang up and strave with our wayfare throughout the first day and the second and the third until the seventh. (Now all this was related to Mohammed the Sultan of Cairo and his Wazir by the youngest Princess and they abode wondering at her words.) On the seventh day we reached this city and here we housed ourselves; but to this hour we have no news of our sire after the Minister was burnt nor do we know an he be whole or dead. Yet we yearn for him: so do thou, of thine abundant favour, O King of the Age, and thy perfect beneficence, send a messenger to seek tidings of him and to acquaint him with our case, when he will send to fetch us." Here she ceased speaking and the Monarch and Minister both wondered at her words and exclaimed, "Exalted be He who decreeth to His servants severance and reunion." Then the Sultan of Cairo arose without stay or delay and wrote letters to the King of Al-Irák, the father of the damsels, telling him that he had taken them under his safeguard, them and their mother, and gave the writ to the Shaykh of the Cossids[166] and appointed for it a running courier and sent him forth with it to the desert. After this the King took the three maidens and their mother and carried them to his Palace where he set apart for them an apartment and he appointed for them what sufficed of appointments. Now, as for the Cossid who fared forth with the letter, he stinted not spanning the waste for the space of two months until he made the city of the bereaved King of Al-Irák, and when he asked for the royal whereabouts they pointed out to him a pleasure-garden. So he repaired thither and went in to him, kissed ground before him, offered his services, prayed for him and lastly handed to him the letter. The King took it and brake the seal and opened the scroll; but when he read it and comprehended its contents, he rose up and shrieked a loud shriek and fell to the floor in a fainting fit. So the high officials flocked around him and raised him from the ground, and when he recovered after an hour or so they questioned him concerning the cause of this. He then related to them the adventures of his wife and children; how they were still in the bonds of life whole and hearty; and forthright he ordered a ship to be got ready for them and stored therein gifts and presents for him who had been the guardian of his Queen and her daughters. But he knew not what lurked for them in the future. So the ship sailed away, all on board seeking the desired city, and she reached it without delay, the winds blowing light and fair. Then she fired the cannon of safe arrival[167] and the Sultan sent forth to enquire concerning her,?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was