Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/271

237 place till she had certified herself that the case was as we have said. So she sallied out, purposing to go in to him, whilst he was drowned in sleep, and steal the ring, unseen of him.

Now it chanced at this time that the king’s son had gone out, without light, to the draught-house, to do an occasion, and sat down on the jakes in the dark, leaving the door open. Presently, he saw Fatimeh come forth of her pavilion and make stealthily for that of his father and said in himself, ‘What ails this witch to leave her lodging in the dead of the night and make for my father’s pavilion? Needs must there be some reason for this.’ So he went out after her and followed in her steps unseen of her. Now he had a short sword of watered steel, which he held dear, so that he went not to his father’s divan, except he were girt therewith; and his father used to laugh at him and say, ‘What God will! This is a fine sword of thine, O my son! But thou hast not gone down with it to battle nor cut off a head therewith.’ Whereupon the boy would reply, ‘I will not fail to cut off with it some head worth the cutting.’ And Marouf would laugh at his words.

So he drew the sword from its sheath and followed her till she came to his father’s pavilion and entered, whilst he stood and watched her from the door. He saw her searching about and heard her say [to herself], ‘Where hath he laid the ring?’ Whereby he knew that she was looking for the ring and waited till she found it and said, ‘Here it is.’ Then she picked it up and turned to go out; but he hid behind the door. As she came forth, she looked at the ring and turning it about in her hand, was