Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/26

8 After him there came forth of the sea a gray-haired old woman and five damsels, as they were moons, bearing a likeness to the damsel Julnar. They all walked upon the surface of the water, till they drew near the window and saw Julnar, whereupon they knew her and went in to her. She rose to them and received them with joy and gladness, and they embraced her and wept sore. Then said they to her, ‘O Julnar, how couldst thou leave us four years, and we unknowing of thine abiding-place? By Allah, the world has been straitened upon us, for stress of severance from thee, and we have had no delight of food or drink, no, not for one day, but have wept day and night for the excess of our longing after thee!’ Then she fell to kissing the hands of her brother and mother and cousins, and they sat with her awhile, questioning her of her case, and of what had befallen her, as well as of her present estate. ‘Know,’ replied she, ‘that, when I left you, I issued from the sea and sat down on the shore of an island, where a man found me and sold me to a merchant, who brought me to this city and sold me to the king of the country for ten thousand dinars. The latter entreated me with honour and left all his concubines and women and favourites on my account and was distracted by me from all he had and all that was in his city.’ ‘Praised be God,’ said her brother, ‘who hath reunited us with thee! But now, O my sister, it is my purpose that thou arise and go with us to our country and people.’

When the king heard this, he was transported for fear lest she should accept her brother’s words and he himself avail not to stay her, passionately as he loved her, and he became distracted with fear of losing her. But Julnar answered her brother, saying, ‘By Allah, O my brother, he who bought me is lord of this city and he is a mighty king and a wise, good and generous in the extreme. [sic]