do thou obey them.”  So I lay with the young man’s mother nor did any divine that I was a maid, albeit from the time when I entered into that youth’s service my strength and comeliness had increased.  At last, one night of the nights, I went after supper to sleep at my employer’s and the young man’s mother chanced to glance in my direction when she saw my loosed hair which gleamed and glistened many-coloured as a peacock’s robe.  Next morning I arose and gathering up my locks donned the Takiyah[FN#162] and proceeded, as usual, to do service about the house never suspecting that the mother had taken notice of my hair.  Presently she said to her son, “’Tis my wish that thou buy me a few rose-blossoms which be fresh.”  He asked, “To make conserve?” and she answered, “No.”  Then he enquired; “Wherefore wantest thou roses?” and she replied, “By Allah, O my son, I wish therewith to try this our servant whom I suspect to be a girl and no boy; and under him in bed I would strew rose-leaves, for an they be found wilted in the morning he is a lad, and if they remain as they were he is a lass."[FN#163] So he fared forth and presently returned to his mother with the rose-blossoms; and, when the sleeping-hour came, she went and placed them in my bed.  I slept well and in the morning when I arose she came to me and found that the petals had not changed for the worse; nay, they had gained lustre.  So she made sure that I was a girl.—­And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.  Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three Hundred and Seventieth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the damsel continued:—­So the young man’s mother made certain that her servant lad was a virgin lass.  But she concealed her secret from her son and was kind to me and showed me respect and, of the goodness of her heart, sent me back early to my mother and sisters.  Now one day of the days the youth came home about noon as was his wont; and he found me with sleeves tucked up to the elbows engaged in washing a bundle of shirts and turbands; and I was careless of myself so he drew near me and noted my cheeks that flushed rosy red and eyes which were as those of the thirsty gazelle and my scorpion locks hanging adown my side face.  This took place in summertide; and when he saw me thus his wits were distraught and his sound senses were as naught and his judgment was in default: