my son, and indulge thy desire; but return again soon and be not
absent too long." Accordingly the youth hastened to the Palace
and entering it looked right and left, none seeing him the while,
and proceeded to the Harem where he seated himself beside the
daughter of the Sultan. Still none perceived him until, after a
time, he put forth his hand and softly stroked her neck. But as
soon as the Princess felt the youth's touch, she shrieked a loud
shriek heard by all ears in the Palace and cried "I seek refuge
with Allah from Satan, the stoned!" At this proceeding on the
girl's part all asked her saying, "What is to do with thee?"
Whereto she answered, "Verily some Satan hath this instant
touched me on the neck." Upon this her mother was alarmed for her
and sent for her nurse[FN#119] and when informed of what had
befallen the girl the old woman said, "If there be aught of
Satans here naught is so sovereign a specific to drive them away
and keep them off as the smoke of camel's dung."[FN#120] Then she
arose and brought thereof a quantity which was thrown into the
fire and presently it scented and pervaded the whole apartment.
All this and the Youth still sat there without being seen. But
when the dung-smoke thickened, his eyes brimmed and he could not
but shed tears, and the more smoke there was the more his eyes
watered and big drops flowed till at last all the Kohl was washed
off and trickled down with the tears. So he became visible
a-middlemost the royal Harem; and, when the dames descried him,
all shrieked one shriek, each at other, upon which the Eunuchry
rushed in; then, finding the young man still seated there, they
laid hands upon him and haled him before the Sultan to whom they
reported his crime and how he had been caught lurking in the
King's Serraglio a-sitting beside the Princess. Hearing this, the
Sovran bade summon the Headsman and committed to him the criminal