old King her heart yearned unto him and she fell to talking with
him, while he on his part whenever he gazed at her felt a like
longing and sought speech of her. So the first who consented to
the Mameluke's proposal was the sire whose desire was naught save
to sit beside her; then the rest also agreed to pass the day
reposing in that place, for that it was a pleasant mead and a
spacious, garnished with green grass and bright with bourgeon and
blossom. So they took seat there till sundown when each brought
out what victual he had and all ate their full and then fell to
conversing; and presently said the Princess, "O my lords, let
each of you tell us a tale which he deemeth strange." Her father
broke in saying, "Verily this rede be right and the first to
recount will be I, for indeed mine is a rare adventure." Then he
began his history telling them that he was born a King and that
such-and-such things had befallen him and so forth until the end
of his tale; and the Princess hearing his words was certified
that he was her sire. So presently she said, "And I too have a
strange history."--And Shahrazad was surprised by 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

The Three Hundred and Eighty-fifth 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