Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/307

273 the prince gave the signal for departure, but, as they went along, a beautiful gazelle, as if the sun shone from her forehead, that had strayed from the herd, sprang up before the prince, whereupon his soul longed to make prize of her and he coveted her. So he said to the vizier, “I have a mind to follow yonder gazelle.” “Do what seemeth good to thee,” said the vizier. So the prince rode after the gazelle, till he lost sight of his companions, and chased her all that day till dusk, when she took refuge in the mountains and the darkness closed in upon him. Then he would have turned back, but knew not the way; whereat he was sore concerned and said, “There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme!”

He rode on all night, in quest of relief, but found none, and when the day appeared, he fared on at hazard, fearful and exhausted with hunger and thirst and the heat of the sun, until midday, when he came in sight of a great city, with massive walls and lofty turrets; but it was ruined and desolate, nor was there any live thing therein save the owl and the raven. As he stood among the ruins, marvelling at their ordinance, his eyes fell on a young and beautiful damsel sitting weeping, under one of the city walls. So he went up to her and said, “Who art thou and who brought thee hither?” “I am called Bint et Temimeh, daughter of Et Tiyakh, King of the Gray Country,” answered she. “I went out one day on an occasion, when an Afrit of the Jinn snatched me up and soared with me between heaven and earth; but as he flew, there fell on him a flame of fire and consumed him, and I dropped here, where I have hungered and thirsted these three days; but, when I saw thee, I coveted life.”

The prince was smitten with compassion for her and took her up behind him, saying, “Take heart and be of good cheer; for, if God (blessed and exalted be He!) restore me to my people and family, I will send thee back

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