could move about as he moved when hale and hearty. So he asked
the old dame saying, "Didst thou cook this broth?" and she
answered, "O my lord, my daughter made it and sent me with it to
thee." He exclaimed, "By Allah this maiden cannot be thy
daughter, O old woman; and she can be naught save the daughter of
Kings. But bid her every day at morning-tide cook me a tasse of
the same broth." The other replied, "To hear is to obey," and
returned home with this message to the damsel who did as the
Basha bade the first day and the second to the seventh day. And
the Basha waxed stronger every day and when the week was ended he
took horse and rode to his pleasure-garden. He increased
continually in force and vigour till, one day of the days, he
sent for the dame and questioned her concerning the damsel who
lived with her; so she acquainted him with her case and what
there was in her of beauty and loveliness and perfect grace.
Thereupon the Basha fell in love with the girl by hearsay and
without eye-seeing[FN#183]:--And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister
mine, and how 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

The Three Hundred and Seventy-sixth 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