Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/262

230 laughing, ‘Fear not; this is the servant of the ring, and he is at my commandment.’ Quoth she, ‘I am afraid of Afrits; pull it off and throw it afar from me.’ So he pulled it off and laying it on the cushion, drew near to her, but she dealt him a kick in the stomach and he fell over on his back, senseless: whereupon she cried out to her attendants, who came to her in haste, and said to them, ‘Lay hold on him.’

So forty slave-girls seized him, whilst she snatched up the ring from the cushion and rubbed it; whereupon Aboussaadat presented himself, saying, ‘Here am I, at thy service, O my mistress.’ ‘Take up yonder infidel,’ said she, ‘and clap him in prison and shackle him heavily.’ So he took him and laying him in strait prison, returned and told her. Quoth she, ‘Whither wentest thou with my father and my husband?’ And he answered, ‘I cast them down in the desert quarter of the world.’ Then said she, ‘I command thee to fetch them to me forthwith.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied he and taking flight at once, stayed not till he reached the desert quarter, where he lighted down upon them and found them sitting weeping and complaining to each other. Quoth he, ‘Fear not, for relief is come to you.’ And he told them what the vizier had done, adding, ‘Indeed I imprisoned him with my own hand, in obedience to her commandment, and she hath bidden me carry you back.’ And they rejoiced in his news. Then he took them up and flew back with them; nor was it more than an hour before he brought them in to the princess, who rose and saluted them. Then she made them sit down and brought them food and sweetmeats, and they passed the rest of the night [with her].

On the morrow, she clad them in rich apparel and said to the king, ‘O my father, sit thou on thy throne and be king as before and make my husband thy Vizier of the