her?” “Feel no grief,” said the
other, “and quit all care of anything: e’en
as she came so shall she go; nor shall any of Almighty
Allah’s creatures know aught of her.”
Hereat the Sage dismissed her by the means which conveyed
her, nor did she cease to bear her bedding with her
every night and to visit the youth with all joyance
and delight. Now after a few weeks had gone by,
this young lady happening to be upon the terrace roof
of her palace in company with her mother, turned her
back to the sun, and when the heat struck her between
the shoulders her belly swelled; so her parent asked
her, “O my daughter, what hast thou that thou
justest out after this wise?” “I wot naught
thereof,” answered she; so the mother put forth
her hand to the belly of her child and found her pregnant;
whereupon she screamed and buffeted her face and asked,
“Whence did this befal thee?” The women-attendants
all heard her cries and running up to her enquired,
“What hath caused thee, O our lady, such case
as this?” whereto she replied, “I would
bespeak the Caliph.” So the women sought
him and said, “O our lord, thou art wanted by
our lady;” and he did their bidding and went
to his wife, but at first sight he noted the condition
of his daughter and asked her, “What is to do
with thee and what hath brought on thee such calamity?”
Hereupon the Princess told him how it was with her
and he exclaimed as he heard it, “O my daughter,
I am the Caliph and Commander of the Faithful, and
thou hast been sought to wife of me by the Kings of
the earth one and all, but thou didst not accept them
as connections and now thou doest such deed as this!
I swear the most binding oaths and I vow by the tombs
of my sires and my grandsires, an thou say me sooth
thou shalt be saved; but unless thou tell me truth
concerning whatso befel thee and from whom came this
affair and the quality of the man’s intention
thee-wards, I will slaughter thee and under earth
I will sepulchre thee.” Now when the Princess
heard from her father’s mouth these words and
had pondered this swear he had sworn she replied, “O
my sire, albeit lying may save yet is truth-telling
the more saving side. Verily, O my father, ’tis
some time before this day that my bed beareth me up
every night and carrieth me to a house of the houses
wherein dwelleth a youth, a model of beauty and loveliness,
who causeth every seer to languish; and he beddeth
with me and sleepeth by my side until dawn, when my
couch uplifteth me and returneth with me to the Palace:
nor wot I the manner of my going and the mode of my
coming is alike unknown to me.” The Caliph
hearing these her words marvelled at this her tale
with exceeding marvel and fell into the uttermost of
wonderment, but bethinking him of his Wazir, a man
of penetrative wit, sagacious, astute, argute exceedingly,
he summoned him to the presence and acquainted him
as soon as he came with this affair and what had befallen
his daughter; to wit, how she was borne away in her
bed without knowing whither or aught else. Quoth