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 should 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 Four Hundred and Seventh 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
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that as soon as
the Sultan returned from the chase he asked after Kut al-Kuluh
from his exceeding desire to her, and the daughter of his uncle
told him the tidings saying, "By Allah, O King of the Age, three
days after thou faredst forth there came upon her malaise and
malady wherein she abode six days and then she deceased to the
mercy of Almighty Allah." He exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily
we are the Almighty's and unto Him shall we return." Then befel
him the extreme of grief and straitness of breast and he passed
that night in exceeding cark and care for Kut al-Kulub. And when
it was morning he sent after the Wazir and summoned him between
his hands and bade him go forth to the Tigris-bank and there
approve some place whereon he might build a palace which should
command all roads. The Minister replied, "Hearkening and
obeying;" and hied to do his lord's bidding taking with him
architects[FN#269] and others, and having found a piece of level