much thou mayest lust therefor.  Torment me or, an thou wilt, destroy me downright, but for my part I will on no wise yield me to thy lusts.”  At these words the infuriated savage roared aloud, “’Tis enough and more than enough:  thy hate breedeth hatred in me and now I desire less to have and hold thee than to do thee die.”  Then he seized her with one hand, and drawing his sabre with the other, would have struck off her head from her body when my father shot at him a shaft so deftly that it pierced his heart and came out gleaming at his back and he fell to the ground and found instant admission into Jahannam.  Hereupon my sire entered the hut and unbinding the lady’s bonds enquired of her who she was and by what means that ogre had brought her thither.  Answered she, “Not far from this site there liveth on the sea-shore a race of Saracens, like unto the demons of the desert.  Sorely against my will I was wedded to their Prince and the fulsome villain thou hast now slain was one of my husband’s chief officers.  He fell madly in love to me and he longed with excessive longing to get me into his power and to carry me off from my home.  Accordingly, one day of the days when my husband was out of the way and I was in privacy, he carried me off with this my babe from the palace to this wild wood wherein is none save He[FN#240] and where well he wot that all search and labour would be baffled; then, hour after hour he designed guilty designs against me, but by the mercy of Almighty Allah I have ever escaped all carnal soil of that foul monster.  This evening, in despair of my safety, I was rejecting his brutal advances when he attempted to take my life and in the attempt he was slain by thy valorous hand.  This is then my story which I have told thee.”  My father reassured the Princess, saying, “O my lady, let thy heart be at ease; at day-break I will take thee away from this wilderness and escort thee to Daryabar, of which city I am the Sultan; and, shouldst thou become fain of that place, then dwell therein until thy husband shall come in quest of thee.”  Quoth the lady, “O my lord, this plan doth not displease me.”  So with the earliest light next morning my father took mother and child away from that forest and set forth homewards when suddenly he fell in with his Sirdars and officers who had been wandering hither and thither during the livelong night in search of him.  They rejoiced with great joy on seeing the King and marvelled with exceeding marvel at the sight of a veiled one with him, admiring much that so love-some a lady should be found dwelling in a wold so wild.  Thereupon the King related to them the tale of the ogre and of the Princess and how he had slain the blackamoor.  Presently they set forth on their homeward way; one of the Emirs seating the dame behind him on his horse’s crupper while another took charge of the child.  They reached the royal city, where the King ordered a large and splendid mansion to be built for his guest, the