he summoned the old woman and asked her to demand
the girl in marriage and was instant with her and
cried, “No help but this must be.”
Accordingly she returned home and acquainted the girl
with what had taken place adding, “O my daughter,
verily the Basha loveth thee and his wish is to wed
thee: he hath been a benefactor to us, and thou
wilt never meet his like; for that he is deeply enamoured
of thee and the byword saith, ’Reward of lover
is return of love.’” And the ancient dame
ceased not gentling her and plying her with friendly
words till she was soothed and gave consent.
Then she returned to the Basha and informed him of
her success, so he joyed with exceeding joy, and without
stay or delay bade slaughter beeves and prepare bridal
feasts and spread banquets whereto he invited the
notables of his government: after which he summoned
the Kazi who tied the knot and he went in to her that
night. And of the abundance of his love he fared
not forth from her till seven days had sped; and he
ceased not to cohabit with her for a span of five
years during which Allah vouchsafed to him a man-child
by her and two daughters. Such was the case with
the cadette Princess; but as regards the eldest sister,
when she entered the city in youth’s attire she
was accosted by the Kunafah-baker and was hired for
a daily wage of a Midi of silver besides her meat
and drink in his house. Now ’twas the practice
of that man every day to buy half a quartern of flour
and thereof make his vermicelli; but when the so-seeming
youth came to him he would buy and work up three quarterns;
and all the folk who bought Kunafah of him would flock
to his shop with the view of gazing upon the beauty
and loveliness of the Youth and said, “Exalted
be He who created and perfected what He wrought in
the creation of this young man!” Now by the decree
of the Decreer the baker’s shop faced the lattice-windows
of the Sultan’s Palace and one day of the days
the King’s daughter chanced to look out at the
window and she saw the Youth standing with sleeves
tucked up from arms which shone like ingots[FN#184]
of silver. Hereat the Princess fell in love with
the Youth,—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
“How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister
mine, and 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 Seventy-seventh 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 when the Sultan’s