Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/181

153 and said, ‘How camest thou to be careless of my daughter and let this demon come at her?’ Then he betook himself to the princess’s palace, where he found her women standing, [awaiting him] and said to them, ‘What is come to my daughter?’ ‘O King,’ answered they, ‘sleep overcame us and when we awoke, we found a young man sitting talking with her, as he were the full moon, never saw we a fairer of favour than he. So we questioned him of his case and he avouched that thou hadst given him thy daughter in marriage. More than this we know not, nor do we know if he be a man or a genie; but he is modest and well bred, and doth nothing unseemly.’

When the King heard this, his wrath cooled and he raised the curtain stealthily and looking in, saw a prince of the goodliest fashion, with a face like the shining full moon, sitting talking with his daughter. At this sight he could not contain himself, of his jealousy for his daughter, and putting the curtain aside, rushed in upon them, like a Ghoul, with his drawn sword in his hand. When the prince saw him, he said to the princess, ‘Is this thy father?’ ‘Yes,’ answered she; whereupon he sprang to his feet and taking his sword in his hand, cried out at the King with such a terrible cry, that he was confounded. Then he would have fallen on him with the sword; but the King, seeing that the prince was doughtier than he, sheathed his blade and stood till the latter came up to him, when he accosted him courteously and said to him, ‘O youth, art thou a man or a genie?’ Quoth the prince, ‘Did I not respect thy right and thy daughter’s honour, I would spill thy blood! How darest thou even me with devils, me that am a prince of the sons of the Chosroës, who, had they a mind to take thy kingdom, could shake thee from thy power and thy dominion and despoil thee of all thy possessions?’ When the King heard his words, he was