of his fell and gutted him; then, lighting a fire he roasted
somewhat of his flesh until it was sufficiently cooked all gazing
upon him the while and marvelling at the heartiness of his heart.
And when the meat was ready, he carved it and setting it upon a
Sufrah[FN#201] of leather said to all present, "Bismillah, eat,
in the name of Allah, what Fate hath given to you!" Thereupon all
came forward and fell to eating of the lion's flesh except the
Princess's husband who was not pleased to join them and said, "By
Allah, I will not eat of this food until I learn the case of this
youth."[FN#202] Now the Princess had recognised her spouse from
the moment of his coming, but she was concealed from him by her
Mameluke's clothing; and he disappeared time after time then
returned to gaze upon the white slave, eyeing now his eyes now
his sides and now the turn of his neck and saying privily in his
mind, "Laud to the Lord who created and fashioned him! By Allah
this Mameluke is the counterpart of my wife in eyes and nose, and
all his form and features are made likest-like unto hers. So
extolled be He who hath none similar and no equal!" He was
drowned in this thought but all the rest ate till they had eaten
enough; then they sat down to pass the rest of their day and
their night in that stead. When it was dawn each and every craved
leave to depart upon his own business; but the Princess's husband
asked permission to wander in quest of her while the old King,
the father of the damsels, determined to go forth with his two
sons-in-law and find the third and last of his lost daughters.
Then the Mameluke said to them, "O my lords, sit we down, I and
you, for the rest of the day in this place and to-morrow I will
travel with you." Now the Princess for the length of her
wanderings (which began too when she was a little one) had
forgotten the semblance of her sire; but when she looked upon the