The Seven Hundredth 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 Grandees of King Al-Mihrjan’s reign saw their Sovran slain, they flocked to Prince Yusuf and greeted him, marvelling at his beauty and valour and excellence:  then they all agreed to salute him as their Sultan and they raised him to the rank of King and sole ruler over them.  Presently they led him with them, and fared seeking the city of Al-Mihrjan until they reached it, when they adorned the streets on the occasion of his coming.  And King Yusuf having entered his capital took seat on the throne of his kingship and bade and forbade and deposed and appointed; and lastly freed Mohammed ibn Ibrahim from gaol, and established him his Wazir.  Hereupon the new Minister displayed to him the four wives and the hundred concubines of King Al-Mihrjan, also the negro slaves, male and female, whom he found to number two hundred and four hundred.  Moreover, he showed his riches and rarities and treasuries wherein were found an hundred boxes full of silk and fine linen, and parcels of pearls and rubies and jacinths and jewels and precious minerals and other wealth in abundance.  So he distributed the whole amongst his nobles, and largessed them with excessive largesses; and his partisans of his subjects and his guards flocked to him with presents and offerings; and all the city-folk gave him joy and rejoiced in him.  Then he commissioned Ibn Ibrahim to Al-Hayfa, daughter of King Al-Mihrjan, saying “Do thou bring her hither to me, her and her hand-maids and all that be in her palace.”  Accordingly he went forth to Al-Hayfa’s Castle, and ceased not wending till he came to its entrance where he discovered that King Yusuf had appointed a craft for the river transport.  And when he arrived there and found the vessel afloat he went in to Al-Hayfa and he greeted her.  Then he related to her what had betided her sire from Yusuf and how the Prince had slain him after the fashion of what befel; so she cried, “There is no Majesty and no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great; and this was writ in the Book of Life!” Then she asked Ibn Ibrahim touching her mother, and he answered that she was sound and safe in her own home which she had never left nor did any one go in to her; and (added he) “she expecteth thy coming to her.”  Then he bade carry down her impediments and her bondmaids and all the good that was in her Castle until nothing remained, and embarked them upon the craft; and presently, mounting her in a litter of sandal-wood plated with ruddy gold, he set her women in Howdahs;[FN#274] and, taking horse himself, he rode until they drew near the city.  And when they arrived there he went