Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/29

11 that thou come and salute my family, so thou mayst see them and they thee and love and friendship may be between you; for know, O king of the age, that my mother and brother and cousins love thee with an exceeding love, by reason of my praises of thee to them, and say, “By Allah, we will not depart from thee nor go to our country till we have foregathered with the king and saluted him.” For they desire to see thee and make acquaintance with thee.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ said the king; ‘for this is my own wish.’ So saying, he rose and went in to them and saluted them after the goodliest fashion; and they sprang up to him and received him with the utmost honour, after which he sat down and ate with them; and he entertained them thus for the space of thirty days. Then they took leave of the king and queen and departed to their own land, after he had done them all possible honour.

Awhile after this, Julnar accomplished the days of her pregnancy and the time of her delivery being come, she bore a boy, as he were the moon at its full, whereat the utmost joy betided the king, for that he had never in his life [till then] been vouchsafed son or daughter. So they held high festival and decorated the city seven days, in the extreme of joy and happiness; and on the seventh day came Julnar’s mother and brother and cousins, whenas they knew of her delivery. The king received them with joy and said to them, ‘I said that I would not give my son a name till you should come and name him of your knowledge.’ So they named him Bedr Basim, and all agreed upon this name. Then they showed the child to his uncle Salih, who took him in his arms and began to walk about the chamber with him. Presently he carried him forth of the palace and going down to the salt sea, fared on with him, till he was hidden from the king’s sight.