第88章

for whom death hath no fright and the escape of his foe no dread，for that he is a tyrant masterful and a conqueror irresistible，lord of troops and armies and continents and islands，and cities and villages，and his name is King Ghayur，Lord of the Islands and of the Seas and of the Seven Palaces. Now he loveth his daughter，the young maiden whom I have described to thee，with dearest love and，for affection of her，he hath heaped together the treasures of all the kings and built her therewith seven palaces，each of a different fashion；the first of crystal，the second of marble，the third of China steel，the fourth of precious stones and gems of price，the fifth of porcelain and manyhued onyxes and ring bezels，the sixth of silver and the seventh of gold. And he hath filled the seven palaces with all sorts of sumptuous furniture，rich silken carpets and hangings and vessels of gold and silver and all manner of gear that kings require；and hath bidden his daughter to abide in each by turns for a certain season of the year；and her name is the Princess Budur.[248] Now when her beauty became known and her name and fame were bruited abroad in the neighbouring countries，all the kings sent to her father to demand her of him in marriage，and he consulted her on the matter，but she disliked the very word wedlock with a manner of abhorrence and said，O my father，I have no mind to marry；no，not at all；for I am a sovereign Lady and a Queen suzerain ruling over men，and I have no desire for a man who shall rule over me. And the more suits she refused，the more her suitors'eagerness increased and all the Royalties of the Inner Islands of China sent presents and rarities to her father with letters asking her in marriage. So he pressed her again and again with advice on the matter of espousals；but she ever opposed to him refusals，till at last she turned upon him angrily and cried，'O my father，if thou name matrimony to me once more，I will go into my chamber and take a sword and，fixing its hilt in the ground，will set its point to my waist；then will I press upon it，till it come forth from my back，and so slay myself.'

Now when the King heard these her words，the light became darkness in his sight and his heart burned for her as with a flame of fire，because he feared lest she should kill herself；

and he was filled with perplexity concerning her affair and the kings her suitors. So he said to her 'If thou be determined not to marry and there be no help for it abstain from going and coming in and out.'Then he placed her in a house and shut her up in a chamber，appointing ten old women as duennas to guard her，and forbade her to go forth to the Seven Palaces；moreover，he made it appear that he was incensed against her，and sent letters to all the kings，giving them to know that she had been stricken with madness by the Jinns；and it is now a year since she hath thus been secluded.'Then continued the Ifrit Dahnash，addressing the Ifritah Maymunah，'And I，O my lady go to her every night and take my fill of feeding my sight on her face and I kiss her between the eyes：yet，of my love to her，I do her no hurt neither mount her，for that her youth is fair and her grace surpassing：every one who seeth her jealouseth himself for her. I

conjure thee，therefore，O my lady，to go back with me and look on her beauty and loveliness and stature and perfection of proportion；and after，if thou wilt，chastise me or enslave me；

and win to thy will，for it is shine to bid and to forbid.'So saying，the Ifrit Dahnash bowed his head towards the earth and drooped his wings downward；but Maymunah laughed at his words and spat in his face and answered，'What is this girl of whom thou pratest but a potsherd wherewith to wipe after making water？[249] Faugh！ Faugh！ By Allah，O accursed，I thought thou hadst some wondrous tale to tell me or some marvellous news to give me. How would it be if thou were to sight my beloved？

Verily，this night I have seen a young man，whom if thou saw though but in a dream，thou wouldst be palsied with admiration and spittle would flow from thy mouth.'Asked the Ifrit，'And who and what is this youth？'；and she answered，'Know，O Dahnash，that there hath befallen the young man the like of what thou tellest me befel thy mistress；for his father pressed him again and again to marry，but he refused，till at length his sire waxed wroth at being opposed and imprisoned him in the tower where I

dwell：and I came up tonight and saw him.'Said Dahnash，'O my lady，shew me this youth，that I may see if he be indeed handsomer than my mistress，the Princess Budur，or not；for I

cannot believe that the like of her liveth in this our age.'

Rejoined Maymunah，'Thou liest，O accursed，O most illomened of Marids and vilest of Satans！[250] Sure am I that the like of my beloved is not in this world.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When It was the One Hundred and Eightieth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Ifritah Maymunah spake thus to the Ifrit Dahnash，'Sure am I that the like of my beloved is not in this world！ Art thou mad to fellow thy beloved with my beloved？'He said，'Allah upon thee，O my lady，go back with me and look upon my mistress，and after I will with thee and look upon thy beloved.'She answered，'It must needs be so，O accursed，for thou art a knavish devil；but I will not go with thee nor shalt thou come with me，save upon condition of a wager which is this. If the lover thou lovest and of whom thou boastest so bravely，prove handsomer than mine whom I