Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/193

165 Then he went up to her and kissed the earth before her, whereupon she raised her eyes to him and finding him exceeding foul of face and favour, said, ‘Who art thou?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘I am sent by the prince, who hath bidden me bring thee to another garden, nearer the city; for that my lady the queen cannot go so far a journey and is unwilling, of her joy in thee, that another should forestall her with thee.’ ‘Where is the prince?’ asked she; and the Persian replied, ‘He is in the city, with his father, and will presently come for thee in great state.’ ‘O fellow,’ said she, ‘could he find none to send to me but thee?’ At this he laughed and answered, ‘O my lady, let not the ugliness of my face and the foulness of my favour deceive thee. Hadst thou profited of me as hath the prince, thou wouldst praise my affair. Indeed, he chose me as his messenger to thee, because of my uncomeliness and forbidding aspect, in his jealousy and love of thee: else hath he slaves and pages and servants, white and black, out of number, each goodlier than the other.’ When she heard this, it commended itself to her reason and she believed him; so she rose and putting her hand in his, said, ‘O my father, what hast thou brought me to ride?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘thou shalt ride the horse thou camest on.’ Quoth she, ‘I cannot ride it by myself.’ Whereupon he smiled and knew that she was in his power and said, ‘I myself will ride with thee.’ So he mounted and taking her up behind him, bound her fast to himself, for she knew not what he would with her. Then he turned the peg of ascent, whereupon the belly of the horse became full of wind and it swayed to and fro and rose with them into the air nor slackened in its flight, till it was out of sight of the city.

When the princess saw this, she said to him, ‘O fellow, what didst thou tell me of the prince, that he sent thee to