Now, he thought, ’She shall at least speak the thing that is, if she look it not.’  So he took the goblet, and contrived to drop a drop from the phial of Paravid therein without her observing him; and he handed her the goblet, she him; and they drank.  Surely, the change that came over the Queen was an enchantment, and her eyes shot lustre, her tongue was loosed, and she laughed like one intoxicated, lolling in her seat, lost to majesty and the sway of her magic, crying, ’O Abarak!  Abarak! little man, long my slave and my tool; ugly little man!  And O Shibli Bagarag! nephew of the barber! weak youth! small prince of the tackle! have I not nigh fascinated thee?  And thou wilt forfeit those two silly eyes of thine to the sack.  And, O Abarak, Abarak! little man, have I flattered thee?  So fetter I the strong with my allurements! and I stay the arrow in its flight! and I blunt the barb of high intents!  Wah!  I have drunk a potent stuff; I talk!  Wullahy!  I know there is a danger menacing Shagpat, and the eyes of all Genii are fixed on him.  And if he be shaved, what changes will follow!  But ’tis in me to delude the barber, wullahy! and I will avert the calamity.  I will save Shagpat!’

While the Queen Rabesqurat prated in this wise with flushed face, Shibli Bagarag was smitten with the greatness of his task, and reproached his soul with neglect of it.  And he thought, ’I am powerful by spells as none before me have been, and ’twas by my weakness the Queen sought to tangle me.  I will clasp the Seventh Pillar and make an end of it, by Allah and his Prophet (praised be the name!), and I will reach Aklis by a short path and shave Shagpat with the sword.’

So he looked up, and Abarak was before him, the lifted nostrils of the little man wide with the flame of anger.  And Abarak said, ’O youth, regard me with the eyes of judgement!  Now, is it not frightful to rate me little?—­an instigation of the evil one to repute me ugly?’

The promptings of wisdom counselled Shibli Bagarag to say, ’Frightful beyond contemplation, O Abarak! one to shame our species!  Surely, there is a moon between thy legs, a pear upon thy shoulders, and the cock that croweth is no match for thee in measure.’

Abarak cried, ’We be aggrieved, we two!  O youth, son of my uncle, I will give thee means of vengeance; give thou me means.’

Shibli Bagarag felt scorn at the Queen, and her hollowness, and he said, ‘’Tis well; take this Lily and hold it to her.’

Now, the Queen jeered Abarak, and as he approached her she shouted, ’What! thou small of build! mite of creation! sour mixture! thou puppet of mine! thou! comest thou to seek a second kiss against the compact, knowing that I give not the well-favoured of mortals beyond one, a second.