so he went in to his parent and said to her, “O
my mother, indeed this servant is no boy, but a maiden
girl and my wish is that thou discover for me her
case and make manifest to me her condition and marry
me to her, for that my heart is fulfilled of her love.”
Now by the decree of the Decreer I was privily listening
to all they said of me; so presently I arose, after
washing the clothes and what else they had given me;
but my state was changed by their talk and I knew
and felt certified that the youth and his mother had
recognised me for a girl. I continued on this
wise till eventide when I took the food and returned
to my family and they all ate till they had eaten
enough, when I told them my adventure and my conviction.
So my mother said to me, “What remaineth for
us now to do?” and said I, “O my mother,
let us arise, we three, before night shall set in
and go forth ere they lock the Khan upon us;[FN#164]
and if the door-keeper ask us aught let us answer,
’We are faring to spend the night in the house
of the youth where our son is serving.’”
My mother replied, “Right indeed is thy rede.”
Accordingly, all four of us went forth at the same
time and when the porter asked, “This is night-tide
and whither may ye be wending?” we answered,
“We have been invited by the young man whom our
son serveth for he maketh a Septena-festival[FN#165]
and a bridal-feast: so we purpose to night with
him and return a-morn.” Quoth he, “There
is no harm in that.” So we issued out and
turned aside and sought the waste lands, the Veiler
veiling us, and we ceased not walking till the day
brake and we were sore a-wearied. Then we sat
for rest till the rise of sun and when it shone we
four sprang up and strave with our wayfare throughout
the first day and the second and the third until the
seventh. (Now all this was related to Mohammed the
Sultan of Cairo and his Wazir by the youngest Princess
and they abode wondering at her words.) On the seventh
day we reached this city and here we housed ourselves;
but to this hour we have no news of our sire after
the Minister was burnt nor do we know an he be whole
or dead. Yet we yearn for him: so do thou,
of thine abundant favour, O King of the Age, and thy
perfect beneficence, send a messenger to seek tidings
of him and to acquaint him with our case, when he
will send to fetch us. Here she ceased speaking
and the Monarch and Minister both wondered at her
words and exclaimed, “Exalted be He who decreeth
to His servants severance and reunion.”
Then the Sultan of Cairo arose without stay or delay
and wrote letters to the King of Al-Irak, the father
of the damsels, telling him that he had taken them
under his safeguard, them and their mother, and gave
the writ to the Shaykh of the Cossids[FN#166] and
appointed for it a running courier and sent him forth
with it to the desert. After this the King took
the three maidens and their mother and carried them
to his Palace where he set apart for them an apartment
and he appointed for them what sufficed of appointments.