knew them and they knew him; whereupon they lighted down from
their horses and saluting him, gave him joy of his safety and the
folk flocked to him. When he came to his father, they embraced
and greeted each other a long time, whilst neither of them
availed unto speech, for the greatness of that which betided them
of joy in reunion. Then El Abbas bade the folk mount; so they
mounted and his mamelukes surrounded him and they entered Baghdad
on the most magnificent wise and in the highest worship and
glory.

The wife of the shopkeeper, to wit, the nurse, came out, with the
rest of those who came out, to divert herself with gazing upon
the show, and when she saw El Abbas and beheld his beauty and the
goodliness of his army and that which he had brought back with
him of herds and slaves and slave-girls and mamelukes, she
improvised and recited the following verses:

El Abbas from Akil his stead is come again; Prize hath he made of
steeds and many a baggage-train;
Yea, horses hath he brought, full fair of shape and hue, Whose
collars, anklet-like, ring to the bridle-rein.
Taper of hoofs and straight of stature, in the dust They prance,
as like a flood they pour across the plain;
And on their saddles perched are warriors richly clad, That with
their hands do smite on kettle-drums amain.
Couched are their limber spears, right long and lithe of point,
Keen- ground and polished sheer, amazing wit and brain.
Who dares with them to cope draws death upon himself; Yea, of the
deadly lance incontinent he's slain.
Come, then, companions mine, rejoice with me and say, "All hail