Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/383

 off, like the wafts of the wind or the ramping leven. Her sisters also took flight and returning home delivered her message to their people. And she stayed not her course from the forenoon till the hour of mid-afternoon prayer (Janshah being still on her back), when she espied afar off a Wady abounding in trees and streams and she said to Janshah, 'I am thinking to alight in this valley, that we may solace ourselves amongst its trees and herbage and here rest for the night.' Quoth he, "Do what seemeth meet to thee!' So she swooped down from the lift and alighted in the Wady, when Janshah dismounted and kissing her between the eyes, [FN#549] sat with her awhile on the bank of a river there; then they rose and wandered about the valley, taking their pleasure therein and eating of the fruits of the trees, until nightfall, when they lay down under a tree and slept till the morning dawned. As soon as it was day, the Princess arose and, bidding Janshah mount, flew on with him till noon, when she perceived by the appearance of the buildings which Shaykh Nasr had described to her, that they were nearing the city Kabul. So she swooped down from the welkin and alighted in a wide plain, a blooming champaign, wherein were gazelles straying and springs playing and rivers flowing and ripe fruits growing. So Janshah dismounted and kissed her between the eyes; and she asked him, 'O my beloved and coolth of mine eyes, knowest thou how many days' journey we have come since yesterday?'; and he answered, 'No,' when she said, 'We have come thirty months' journey.' Quoth he, 'Praised be Allah for safety!' Then they sat down side by side and ate and drank and toyed and laughed. And whilst they were thus pleasantly engaged, behold, there came up to them two of the King's Mamelukes of those who had been of the Prince's company, one of them was he whom he had left with the horses, when he embarked in the fishing-boat and the other had been of his escort in the chase. As soon as they saw Janshah, both knew him and saluted him; then said they, 'With thy leave, we will go to thy sire and bear him the glad tidings of thy coming.' Replied the Prince, 'Go ye to my father and acquaint him with my case, and fetch us tents, for we will tarry here seven days to rest ourselves till he make ready his retinue to meet us, that we may enter in stateliest state.'"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Fourteenth Night,