Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/26

14 he, ‘be not false to thine oath, for I see thou art an over matchovermatch [sic] for me at this game!’ ‘Agreed,’ said she and they ranged their men and fell again to playing.

Now she had on her head a kerchief of blue brocade; so she laid it aside and tucking up her sleeve, showed a wrist like a shaft of light and passed her hand over the red pieces, saying to him, ‘Look to thyself.’ But he was dazzled at her beauty and the sight of her charms bereft him of reason, so that he became dazed and stupefied and put out his hand to the white men, but it lit upon the red. ‘O Mesrour,’ said she, ‘where are thy senses? The red are mine and the white thine.’ And he replied, ‘Who can look on thee, without losing his senses?,’ [sic] Then, seeing how it was with him, she took the white from him and gave him the red, and they played and she beat him.

He ceased not to play with her and she to beat him, whilst he paid her each time ten dinars, till, seeing him to be distracted for love of her, she said to him, ‘O Mesrour, thou wilt never come to thy desire, except thou beat me; and henceforth, I will not play with thee save for a stake of a hundred dinars a game.’ ‘With all my heart,’ answered he and they went on playing, whilst she still beat him and he won not a single game, but paid her a hundred dinars each time; and on this wise they abode till the morning, when he rose. Quoth she, ‘What wilt thou, O Mesrour?’ And he replied, ‘I mean to go to my lodging and fetch somewhat of money: it may be I shall attain my desire.’ ‘Do as seemeth good to thee,’ said she. So he went home and taking all the money he had, returned to her, reciting the following verses: