Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/155

135 him a couch of juniper-wood, inlaid with pearls and jewels, and he sat down thereon, like a man that had been sick twenty years; for the excess of his concern and passion for the young lady had wasted his charms and emaciated his body, and he could neither eat nor drink nor sleep. His father seated himself at his head, mourning sore for him, and every Monday and Thursday he gave his Viziers and Amirs and grandees and officers and the rest of his subjects leave to come in to him in the pavilion. So they entered and did their several service and abode with him till the end of the day, when they went their ways and he returned to his son, whom he left not night nor day; and on this wise did he many days and nights.

To return to the Princess Budour. When the two Afrits carried her back to her palace and laid her on her bed, she slept on till daybreak, when she awoke and sitting up, looked right and left, but saw not the youth who had lain in her bosom. At this, her heart was troubled, her reason fled and she gave a great cry, whereupon all her damsels and nurses and serving-women awoke and came in to her; and the chief of them said to her, ‘What ails thee, O my lady?’ ‘O wretched old woman,’ answered the princess, ‘where is my beloved, the handsome youth that lay last night in my bosom? Tell me where he is gone.’ When the old woman heard this, the light in her eyes became darkness and she was sore in fear of her mischief and said to her, ‘O my lady Budour, what unseemly words are these?’ ‘Out on thee, pestilent crone that thou art!’ cried the princess. ‘Where is my beloved, the goodly youth with the shining face and the slender shape, the black eyes and the joined eyebrows, who lay with me last night from dusk until near daybreak?’ ‘By Allah, O my lady,’ replied the old woman, ‘I have seen no young man nor any other; but I conjure thee, leave this unseemly jesting, lest we be all undone. Belike, it may come to thy father’s