Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/362

332 went to the gardener, to whom said the Vizier, ‘Look at yonder pavilion and see how fine it is!’ And he answered, ‘This is all of thy bounty.’ Then said they, ‘O elder, when the owners of the place question thee concerning the reinstatement of the pavilion, say thou, “It was I did it of my own monies,” to the intent that there may betide thee favour and good fortune.’ Quoth he, ‘I hear and obey.’ And the prince continued to pay him frequent visits.

Meanwhile, when Heyat en Nufous ceased to receive the prince’s letters and messages and the old woman was absent from her, she rejoiced beyond measure and concluded that the young man had returned to his own country. One day, there came to her a covered tray from her father; so she uncovered it and finding therein fine fruits, said to her waiting-women, ‘Is the season of these fruits come?’ ‘Yes,’ answered they, and she said, ‘Would we might make ready to take our pleasure in the garden!’ ‘O my lady,’ answered they, ‘thou sayst well, and by Allah, we also long for the garden!’ And she said, ‘How shall we do, seeing that every year it is my nurse who taketh us to walk in the garden and pointeth out to us the various trees and plants and I have beaten her and forbidden her from me? Indeed, I repent me of the affront I offered her, for that, in any case, she is my nurse and hath over me the right of fosterage. But there is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ When her women heard this, they all rose and kissing the earth before her, said, ‘God on thee, O my lady, do thou pardon her and command her to be brought!’ ‘By Allah,’ answered the princess, ‘I am resolved upon this; but which of you will go to her, for I have prepared her a splendid dress of honour?’ [sic]

With this two damsels came forwards by name Bulbul and Sewad el Ain, who were comely and graceful and the chief of the princess’s women, and said to her, ‘We will go to her, O princess!’ And she said, ‘Do what seemeth