night, he found her a hoard wherefrom the spell had freshly been
dispelled; and of his longing for her and his desire to her he
abode with her two se'nnights never going forth from her or by
night or by day. Hereat the dignitaries of his empire were sore
vexed for that their Sultan ceased to appear at the Divan and
deal commandment between man and man, and his daughter went in
and acquainted him therewith. He asked her how long he had
absented himself and she answered saying, "Knowest thou how long
thou hast tarried in the Palace?" whereto he replied, "Nay."
"Fourteen whole days," cried she, whereupon he exclaimed, "By
Allah, O my daughter, I thought to myself that I had spent with
her two days and no more." And his daughter wondered to hear his
words. Such was the case of the cadette Princess; but as regards
the King, the father of the damsel, when he forgathered with the
mother of his three daughters and she told him of the shipwreck
and the loss of her children he determined to travel in search of
the three damsels, he and the Wazir habited as Darwayshes.--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 Eightieth 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