owner of the Bird, when she awoke at dawn of day and opened her
eyes, she found her favourite gone and as her glance fell upon
the things about her, suddenly she saw something written in the
palm of her hand. But as soon as she had read it and comprehended
its purport, she cried aloud with a mighty grievous cry which
caused the palace-women to flock around,[FN#320] and her father
to ask what was to do but none could explain it because no one
knew. So the Sultan arose forthright and, going in to his
daughter, found her buffeting her face for the sake of her Bird
and asked her, "What is to do with thee?" So she informed him of
what had befallen her, adding, "Verily he who came into my bower
and discovered me bare and looked upon me and wrote upon the palm
of my hand, him I am determined to have and none other save that
one." Quoth her father, "O my daughter, many sons of the Wazirs
and the Kings have sought the bird and have failed; and now do
thou suppose that he hath died;" but quoth the Princess, "I
desire none save the man who found me in sleep and looked upon
me, and he is the son of King So-and-so, reigning in such a
capital." Said her father, "Then how standeth the case?" and said
she, "Needs must I thank him and seek his city and marry him, for
assuredly amongst the sons of the Kings, all of them, none can be
fairer or more delightsome than he who hath craftily devised this
entrance to me in so guarded a stead as this. How then can anyone
be his peer?"[FN#321] Hereupon her father bade muster the forces
without the city and he brought out for his daughter rarities and
presents and mule-litters, and they pitched the tents and after
three days they loaded the loads for travel. Then they fared for
whole days and nights until they drew near the city wherein the
youth had slain the Elephant and had saved the daughter of the
King. So the Sultan set up his encampment with its tents and