sire; but when she looked upon the old King her heart yearned unto him and she fell to talking with him, while he on his part whenever he gazed at her felt a like longing and sought speech of her.  So the first who consented to the Mameluke’s proposal was the sire whose desire was naught save to sit beside her; then the rest also agreed to pass the day reposing in that place, for that it was a pleasant mead and a spacious, garnished with green grass and bright with bourgeon and blossom.  So they took seat there till sundown when each brought out what victual he had and all ate their full and then fell to conversing; and presently said the Princess, “O my lords, let each of you tell us a tale which he deemeth strange.”  Her father broke in saying, “Verily this rede be right and the first to recount will be I, for indeed mine is a rare adventure.”  Then he began his history telling them that he was born a King and that such-and-such things had befallen him and so forth until the end of his tale; and the Princess hearing his words was certified that he was her sire.  So presently she said, “And I too have a strange history.”—­And Shahrazad was surprised by 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 Eighty-fifth 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 Princess in Mameluke’s habit said, “And I too have a strange history.”  Then she fell to relating all that had betided her from the very beginning to that which hath before been described; and when her father heard it he felt assured that she was his daughter.  So he arose and threw himself upon her and embraced her and after he veiled her face with a kerchief was with him, and her husband exclaimed, “Would to Heaven that I also could forgather with my wife.”  Quoth she, “Inshallah, and that soon,” and she inclined to him after kindly fashion and said to herself, “Indeed this be my true husband.”  Herewith all resolved to march from that stead and they departed, the Princess’s spouse still unknowing that she was his wife; and they stinted not faring till they entered the Sultan’s city and all made for the Palace.  Then the Princess slipped privily into the Harem without the knowledge of her mate and changed her semblance, when her father said to her husband, “Hie thee to the women’s apartment:  haply Allah may show to thee thy wife.”