Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/246

224 Nour el Huda was three days’ journey. Now the king had seven daughters, all sisters-german by one mother and father except the youngest: the eldest was called Nour el Huda, the second Nejm es Sebah, the third Shems ez Zuha, the fourth Shejeret et Durr, the fifth Cout el Culoub, the sixth Sheref el Benat and the youngest Menar es Sena, Hassan’s wife, who was their sister by the father’s side only. When Shewahi reached the city, she went in to the princess Menar es Sena and saluting her, gave her her sister’s greeting and acquainted her with the latter’s longing for her and her children and that she reproached her for not visiting her. Quoth Menar es Sena, ‘Verily, I am beholden to my sister and have failed of my duty to her in not visiting her, but I will do so now.’ Then she bade pitch her tents without the city and took with her a suitable present for her sister.

Presently, the king her father looked out of the window of his palace, and seeing the tents pitched by the road, enquired of them, and they said to him, ‘The princess Menar es Sena hath pitched her tents there, being minded to visit her sister Queen Nour el Huda.’ When the king heard this, he equipped troops to escort her to her sister and brought out to her from his treasuries meat and drink and treasure and jewels and rarities, that beggar description. Presently the old woman again presented herself and kissed the earth before the princess, who said to her, ‘Hast thou any need, O my mother?’ Quoth Shewahi, ‘Thy sister, Queen Nour el Huda, biddeth thee clothe thy sons in the two coats of mail which she made for them and send them to her by me, and I will take them and forego thee with them and be the harbinger of thy coming to her.’

When the princess heard these her words, her colour changed and she bowed her head a long while, after which she shook it and looking up, said to the old