Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/64

44 friendship and usance waxed great between them, and they abode thus awhile, till one day the King, being alone with his Vizier, said to him, ‘O Vizier, I fear lest Jouder kill me and take the kingdom from me.’ ‘O King of the age,’ replied the Vizier, ‘as for his taking the kingdom from thee, have no fear of that, for his present estate is greater than that of the King, and to take the kingdom would be a lowering of his rank; but, if thou fear that he kill thee, thou hast a daughter: give her to him to wife and thou and he will be of one condition.’

‘O Vizier,’ said the King, ‘be thou intermediary between us and him.’ And the Vizier said, ‘Do thou bid him to an entertainment and pass the night with him in one of thy saloons. Then command thy daughter to don her richest clothes and ornaments and pass by the door of the saloon. When he sees her, he will fall in love with her, and when we know this, I will turn to him and tell him that she is thy daughter and engage him in converse and lead him on, so that thou shalt [seem to] know nothing of the matter, till he asks her of thee in marriage. When thou hast married him to the girl, thou and he will be as one thing and thou wilt be safe from him; and if he die, thou wilt inherit all he hath, both great and small.’ ‘Thou sayst sooth, O my Vizier,’ replied the King and made a banquet and invited Jouder thereto. So he came to the King’s palace and they sat in the saloon in great good cheer till the end of the day. Now the King had commanded his wife to array the girl in her richest clothes and ornaments and carry her by the door of the saloon. She did as he bade her, and when Jouder saw the princess, who had not her match for beauty and grace, he looked fixedly at her and said, ‘Alas!’ And his joints were loosened for love and passion and desire were sore upon him; transport and love-liking gat hold upon him and he turned pale. Quoth the Vizier, ‘May no hurt betide thee, O my lord! Why do I see thee pale and