第37章

to the outer hall，which he found hung and spread with magnificent furniture，such as be seemeth none but kings； and the pages hastened up to him and seated him on the divan.Then they fell to kneading him till sleep overcame him； and he dreamt that he had a girl in his arms.So he kissed her and set her between his thighs； then，sitting to her as a man sitteth to a woman，[111] he took yard in hand and drew her towards him and weighed down upon her，when lo！ he heard one saying to him，'Awake，thou ne'erdowell！ The noon hour is come and thou art still asleep.'He opened his eyes and found him self lying on the merge of the coldwater tank，amongst a crowd of people all laughing at him； for his prickle was at point and the napkin had slipped from his middle.So he knew that all this was but a confusion of dreams and an illusion of Hashish and he was vexed and said to him who had aroused him，'Would thou hadst waited till I had put it in！'Then said the folk，'Art thou not ashamed，O Hashisheater，to be sleeping stark naked with stiff standing tool？'And they cuffed him till his neck was red.Now he was starving，yet forsooth had he savoured the flavour of pleasure in his dream.When Kanmakan heard the bondwoman's tale，he laughed till he fell backward and said to Bakun，'O my nurse，this is indeed a rare story and a delectable； I never heard the like of this anecdote.Say me！ hast more？''Yes，'replied she，and she ceased not to tell him merry adventures and laughable absurdities，till sleep overcame him.Then she sat by his head till the most part of the night was past，when she said to herself，'It is time to profit by the occasion.'So she sprang to her feet and unsheathed the hanger and rushing up to Kanmakan，was about to cut his throat when behold，his mother came in upon the twain.As soon as Bakun saw her，she rose in respect and advanced to meet her，and fear get hold of her and she fell a trembling，as if he had the ague.When his mother looked at her she marvelled to see her thus and aroused her son，who awoke and found her sitting at his head.Now the cause of her coming was that Kuzia Fakan overheard the conversation and the concert to kill Kanmakan，and she said to his mother，'O wife of my uncle，go to thy son，ere that wicked whore Bakun murther him；'and she told her what had passed from first to last.So she fared forth at once，and she thought of naught and stayed not for aught till she went in to her son at the very moment when Bakun was about to slay him in his sleep.When he awoke，he said to his mother，'O my mother，indeed thou comest at a good time，for nurse Bakun hath been with me this night.'Then he turned to Bakun and asked her，'By my life！ knowest thou any story better than those thou hast told me？'She answered，'And where is what I have told thee compared with what I will tell thee？； but however better it be，it must be told at another time.'Then she rose to depart，hardly believing，in her escape albeit he said，'Go in peace！'for she perceived by her cunning that his mother knew what had occurred.

So she went her way； whereupon his mother said to him，'O my son，blessed be this night，for that Almighty Allah hath delivered thee from this accursed woman.''And how so？'enquired he，and she told him the story from beginning to end.Quoth he，'O my mother，of a truth the live man findeth no slayer，and though slain he shall not die； but now it were wiser that we depart from amongst these enemies and let Allah work what He will.'So，when day dawned he left the city and joined the Wazir Dandan，and after his departure，certain things befel between King Sasan and Nuzhat alZaman，which compelled her also to quit the city and join herself to them； and presently they were met by all the high officers of King Sasan who inclined to their party.Then they sat in counsel together devising what they should do，and at last all agreed upon a razzia into the land of Roum there to take their revenge for the death of King Omar bin alNu'uman and his son Sharrkan.So they set out with this in tent and，after sundry adventures （which it were tedious to tell as will appear from what follows），they fell into the hands of Rumzan，King of the Greeks.Next morning，King Rumzan caused Kanmakan and the Wazir Dandan and their company to be brought before him and，when they came，he seated them at his side，and bade spread the tables of food.So they ate and drank and took heart of grace，after having made sure of death，when they were summoned to the King's presence； and they had said to one another，'He hath not sent for us but to slay us.'And when they were comforted the King said，'In truth I have had a dream，which I related to the monks，and they said，'None can expound it to thee save the Wazir Dandan.'

Quoth the Minister，'Weal it was thou didst see in thy dream，O King of the age！'Quoth the King，'O Wazir，I dreamt that I was in a pit which seemed a black well where multitudes were tormenting me； and I would have risen，but when springing up I