Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/282

256 death and the old woman cried out, saying, ‘Slay them all and spare none!’ But, when Menar es Sena saw her sister in this plight, a prisoner and in fetters, she wept over her and said, ‘O my sister, who is this hath conquered us and made us captives in our own land?’ Quoth Nour el Huda, ‘Verily, this is a grave matter. Indeed this man Hassan hath gotten the mastery over us and God hath given him dominion over us and over all our realm and he hath overcome us, us and the Kings of the Jinn.’ And her sister answered her, saying, ‘Indeed, God aided him not against you nor did he overcome you nor make you prisoners, save by means of this cap and wand.’ So Nour el Huda was assured that he had conquered her by means thereof and humbled herself to her sister, till she was moved to pity for her and said to Hassan, ‘What wilt thou do with my sister? Behold, she is in thy hands and she hath done thee no offence that thou shouldst punish her.’ Quoth Hassan, ‘Her torturing of thee was offence enough.’ But she answered, saying, ‘She hath excuse for all she did with me. As for thee, thou hast set my father’s heart on fire for the loss of me, and how will it be with him, if he lose my sister also?’ And he said to her, ‘It is thine to decide; do what thou wilt.’

So she commanded to loose her sister and the rest of the captives, and they did her bidding. Then she went up to Queen Nour el Huda and embraced her, and they wept together awhile; after which quoth the queen, ‘O my sister, bear me not malice for that I did with thee.’ ‘O my sister,’ replied Menar es Sena, ‘this was decreed to me.’ Then they sat on the couch talking and Menar es Sena made peace between the old woman and her sister, after the goodliest fashion, and their hearts were set at ease. After this Hassan dismissed the servants of the wand, thanking them for the succour which they had afforded him against his enemies, and Menar es Sena