those locks and coming forth of those chests, did what she would
with the two brothers, after she had circumvented the Afrit.

When the two kings saw that woman's fashion and how she
circumvented the Afrit, who had lodged her at the bottom of the
sea, they turned back to their kingdoms and the younger betook
himself to Samarcand, whilst the elder returned to China and
established unto himself a custom in the slaughter of women, to
wit, his vizier used to bring him a girl every night, with whom
he lay that night, and when he arose in the morning, he gave her
to the vizier and bade him put her to death. On this wise he
abode a great while, whilst the people murmured and the creatures
[of God] were destroyed and the commons cried out by reason of
that grievous affair whereinto they were fallen and feared the
wrath of God the Most High, dreading lest He should destroy them
by means of this. Still the king persisted in that fashion and in
that his blameworthy intent of the killing of women and the
despoilment of the curtained ones,[FN#159] wherefore the girls
sought succour of God the Most High and complained to Him of the
tyranny of the king and of his oppressive dealing with them.

Now the king's vizier had two daughters, own sisters, the elder
of whom had read books and made herself mistress of [all]
sciences and studied the writings of the sages and the histories
of the boon-companions,[FN#160] and she was possessed of abundant
wit and knowledge galore and surpassing apprehension. She heard
that which the folk suffered from the king and his despiteous
usage of their children; whereupon compassion gat hold upon her
for them and jealousy and she besought God the Most High that He
would bring the king to renounce that his heresy,[FN#161] and God