Here Queen Es Shuhba bade them farewell and taking her troops, returned to her palace, whilst the kings also went away to their abodes and the Sheikh Aboultawaif addressed himself to divert Tuhfeh till nightfall, when he mounted her on the back of one of the Afrits and bade other thirty gather together all that she had gotten of treasure and raiment and jewels and dresses of honour. [Then they flew off,] whilst Iblis went with her, and in less than the twinkling of an eye he set her down in her sleeping-chamber.  Then he and those who were with him took leave of her and went away.  When Tuhfeh found herself in her own chamber and on her couch, her reason fled for joy and it seemed to her as if she had never stirred thence.  Then she took the lute and tuned it and touched it on wondrous wise and improvised verses and sang.

The eunuch heard the smiting of the lute within the chamber and said, ‘By Allah, that is my lady Tuhfeh’s touch!’ So he arose and went, as he were a madman, falling down and rising up, till he came to the eunuch on guard at the door at the Commander of the Faithful and found him sitting.  When the latter saw him, and he like a madman, falling down and rising up, he said to him, ’What aileth thee and what bringeth thee hither at this hour?’ Quoth the other, ’Wilt thou not make haste and awaken the Commander of the Faithful?’ And he fell to crying out at him; whereupon the Khalif awoke and heard them bandying words together and Tuhfeh’s servant saying to the other, ’Out on thee!  Awaken the Commander of the Faithful in haste.’  So he said, ’O Sewab, what aileth thee?’ And the chief eunuch answered, saying, ’O our lord, the eunuch of Tuhfeh’s lodging hath taken leave of his wits and saith, “Awaken the Commander of the Faithful in haste!"’ Then said Er Reshid to one of the slave-girls, ‘See what is to do.’

So she hastened to admit the eunuch, who entered; and when he saw the Commander of the Faithful, he saluted not neither kissed the earth, but said, ’Quick, quick!  Arise in haste!  My lady Tuhfeh sitteth in her chamber, singing a goodly ditty.  Come to her in haste and see all that I say to thee!  Hasten!  She sitteth [in her chamber].’  The Khalif was amazed at his speech and said to him, ‘What sayst thou?’ ‘Didst thou not hear the first of the speech?’ replied the eunuch.  ’Tuhfeh sitteth in the sleeping-chamber, singing and playing the lute.  Come thy quickliest!  Hasten!’ So Er Reshid arose and donned his clothes; but he credited not the eunuch’s words and said to him, ’Out on thee!  What is this thou sayst?  Hast thou not seen this in a dream?’ ‘By Allah,’ answered the eunuch, ‘I know not what thou sayest, and I was not asleep.’  Quoth Er Reshid, ’If thy speech be true, it shall be for thy good luck, for I will enfranchise thee and give thee a thousand dinars; but, if it be untrue and thou have seen this in sleep, I will crucify thee.’  And the eunuch said in himself, ’O Protector,[FN#250] let me not have seen this in Sleep!’ Then he left the Khalif and going to the chamber-door, heard the sound of singing and lute-playing; whereupon he returned to Er Reshid and said to him, ‘Go and hearken and see who is asleep.’