Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/366

336 When the old man heard this, he was sore concerned and said, ‘O my lord, give me leave to go to thy father and be the means of reconciliation between him and thee.’ ‘O uncle,’ replied Ardeshir, ‘thou must know that my father is of a very impatient nature, and if thou proffer him reconciliation in his heat, he will make thee no answer; but when a day or two have passed, his humour will soften. Then go thou in to him and thereupon he will relent.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ said the gardener. ‘But, O my lord, do thou go with me to my house, where thou shalt pass the night with my children and family and none shall reproach this to us.’ ‘O uncle,’ replied Ardeshir, ‘I must be alone, when I am angry.’ Quoth the old man, ‘It were grievous to me that thou shouldst lie alone in the garden, when I have a house.’ But Ardeshir said, ‘O uncle, I have a purpose in this, that the trouble of my mind may be dispelled from me and I know that in this lies the means of regaining his favour and softening his heart to me.’ ‘If it must be so,’ rejoined the gardener, ‘I will fetch thee a carpet to sleep on and a coverlet to cover thyself withal.’ And the prince said, ‘There is no harm in that, O uncle.’ So the keeper opened the garden to him and brought him the carpet and coverlet, knowing not that the princess was minded to visit the garden.

Meanwhile, the nurse returned to the princess and told her that the fruits were ripe on the trees of the garden; whereupon she said, ‘O my nurse, go down with me to-morrow into the garden, that we may walk about in it and take our pleasure, so God please; and send meanwhile to the gardener, to let him know our purpose.’ So she sent to the gardener to tell him that the princess would visit the garden on the morrow, bidding him leave neither tree-tenders nor water-carriers therein nor let one of all the creatures of God enter the place. So when word came to him, he set his trenches and channels in order and