The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 14 by Anonymous
page 165 of 450 (36%)
page 165 of 450 (36%)
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and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Princess in Mameluke's habit said, "And I too have a strange history." Then she fell to relating all that had betided her from the very beginning to that which hath before been described; and when her father heard it he felt assured that she was his daughter. So he arose and threw himself upon her and embraced her and after he veiled her face with a kerchief was with him, and her husband exclaimed, "Would to Heaven that I also could forgather with my wife." Quoth she, "Inshallah, and that soon," and she inclined to him after kindly fashion and said to herself, "Indeed this be my true husband." Herewith all resolved to march from that stead and they departed, the Princess's spouse still unknowing that she was his wife; and they stinted not faring till they entered the Sultan's city and all made for the Palace. Then the Princess slipped privily into the Harem without the knowledge of her mate and changed her semblance, when her father said to her husband, "Hie thee to the women's apartment: haply Allah may show to thee thy wife." So he went in and found her sitting in her own apartment and he marvelled as he espied her and drew near her and threw his arms round her neck of his fond love to her and asked her concerning her absence. Thereupon she told him the truth saying, "I went forth seeking my sire and habited in a Mameluke's habit and 'twas I slew the lion and roasted his flesh over the fire, but thou wouldest not eat thereof." At these words the Sultan rejoiced and his rejoicings increased and all were in the highmost of joy and jolliment; he and her father with the two other sons-in-law, and this endured for a long while. But at last all deemed it suitable to revisit their countries and capitals |
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