Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/182

158 ‘O my brothers, is this that I have said true or not?’ And they bowed their heads and fell a-whining, as if confirming his speech; whereat the Khalif wondered. ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ continued Abdallah, ‘I sank to the bottom of the sea; but the water bore me up again to the surface, and before I could think, a great bird, the bigness of a man, swooped down upon me and snatching me up, flew up with me into the height of the air. [I swooned away and] when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a strong and high-builded palace, adorned with magnificent paintings and pendants of jewels of all shapes and colours. Therein were damsels standing with their hands on their breasts and in their midst was a lady seated on a throne of red gold, set with pearls and jewels, and clad in apparel whereon no mortal might open his eyes, for the lustre of the jewels with which they were decked. About her waist she wore a girdle of jewels beyond price, and on her head a triple crown, amazing thought and wit and dazzling heart and sight.

Then the bird that had carried me thither shook and became a young lady, as she were the shining sun. I fixed my eyes on her and behold, it was she whom I had seen on the mountain in the guise of a snake and had rescued from the dragon. Then said to her the lady who sat upon the throne, “Why hast thou brought this mortal hither?” “O my mother,” answered she, “this is he who was the means of veiling my honour among the maidens of the Jinn.” Then said she to me, “Knowest thou who I am?” And I answered, “No.” Quoth she, “I am she who was on such a mountain, where the black dragon strove with me and would have forced my honour, but thou slewest him.” And I said, “I saw but a white snake with the dragon.” “It is I who was the white snake,” answered she; “but I am the Red King’s daughter of the Jinn and