Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/316

282 shall befall thee. Mount thy horse and leap him on to the Afrit’s shoulders.” “Nay,” answered he; “I will leave my horse with thee and bestride his shoulders myself.” So he bestrode the Afrit’s shoulders and shut his eyes, as the genie bade him; whereupon the Afrit rose with him into the air and ceased not to fly between earth and heaven, whilst the prince was unconscious, nor was the last third of the night come before he lighted down with him on the roof of his father-in-law’s palace. Then said the Afrit, “Alight and open thine eyes; for this is the palace of thy father-in-law and his daughter.” So he alighted and the Afrit flew away and left him on the roof of the palace.

When the day broke and the prince recovered from his trouble, he went down into the palace and his father-in-law, espying him, came to meet him and marvelled to see him descend from the roof of the palace, saying, “We see folk enter by the doors; but thou comest from the skies.” Quoth the prince, “What God (may He be hallowed and glorified!) wills, cometh to pass.” And he told him all that had befallen him, from first to last, whereat the king marvelled and rejoiced in his safety and bade his vizier make ready splendid bride-feasts. So did he and they held the marriage festival, after which the prince went in to his bride and abode with her two months, then departed with her for his father’s capital: but, as for the lady’s cousin, he died of jealousy and despite. When the prince and his bride drew near his father’s city, the king came out to meet them with his troops and viziers, and so God (blessed and exalted be He!) aided the prince against his bride’s cousin and his father’s vizier. And I pray God the Most High,’ added the damsel, ‘to aid thee against thy viziers, O King, and I beseech thee to do me justice on thy son!’