Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/55

37 jacinths. The damsels saluted the grocer and passed on, till up came Queen Lab, in great state, and seeing Bedr sitting in the shop, as he were the moon at its full, was amazed at his beauty and grace and became passionately enamoured of him.

So she alighted and sitting down by King Bedr, said to the old man, ‘Whence hadst thou this fair one?’ ‘He is my brother’s son,’ answered the grocer, ‘and is [but] lately come to me.’ Quoth Lab, ‘Let him be with me this night, that I may talk with him.’ And the old man said, ‘Wilt thou take him from me and not enchant him?’ ‘Yes,’ answered she, and he said, ‘Swear to me.’ So she swore to him that she would not enchant Bedr nor do him any hurt, and bidding bring him a handsome horse, saddled and bridled with a bridle of gold and decked with trappings all of gold, set with jewels, gave the old man a thousand dinars, saying, ‘Use this for thine occasions.’ Then she took Bedr and carried him off, as he were the full moon on its fourteenth night, whilst all the folk, seeing his beauty, were grieved for him and said, ‘By Allah, this youth deserves better than to be bewitched by yonder accursed sorceress!’

Bedr heard all they said, but was silent, committing his case to God the Most High, till they came to the gate of Queen Lab’s palace, where the amirs and eunuchs and notables of the realm dismounted and she bade the chamberlains dismiss her officers and grandees, who kissed the earth and went away, while she entered the palace with Bedr and her eunuchs and women. Here he found a palace, whose like he had never seen, for in its midst was a great basin full of water, amiddleward a vast garden. He looked at the garden and saw it full of birds of various kinds and colours, warbling in all manner tongues and voices, joyous and plaintive. Brief, [everywhere] he beheld great state and dominion and said,