out to hunt and course and slay beasts of raven and take his
pleasure in the gardens without the city. So he sent for his
Wazir and appointed and constituted him Viceregent in his stead
with full authority to command and be gracious to his lieges:
then he got him ready and marched forth and the Viceroy entered
upon his office. But it happened that it was the hot season and
my mother betook herself to the terrace-roof of the palace in
order to smell the air and sniff up the breeze. At that very
hour, by the decree of the Decreer, the Wazir was sitting in the
Kiosk or roofed balcony hanging to his upper mansion and holding
in hand a mirror; and, as he looked therein, he saw the
reflection of my mother, a glance of eyes which bequeathed him a
thousand sighs. 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."
Thereupon he packed up for her some of the most sumptuous dresses
in his treasury and said, "Hie thee to her and say, 'The Wazir
hath sent these to thee by way of love-token and his desire is
either that thou come to him and converse, he and thou, for a
couple of hours,[FN#152] or that he be allowed to visit thee.'"
The nurse replied with "Hearkening and obedience," and fared
forth and found my mother (and we little ones were before her)
all unknowing aught of that business. So the old woman saluted
her and brought forwards the dresses, and my mother arose and