Page:The book of wonder voyages (1919).djvu/170

 So Hasan beat the kettledrum and mounted the camels and traveled for ten days over hills, and valleys, and plains, and wastes until he reached the Princesses' palace. And they rejoiced greatly to see him. And he abode with them three months, feasting and merrymaking, hunting and sporting.

As for his wife, she remained with his mother two days, and on the third said: "Have I lived with him three years, and shall I never be allowed to go to the bath?" And the mother answered: "O my daughter, here we are strangers, and thy husband is abroad, but I will heat thee water and wash thy head in the Hammam-bath which is in the house." Then she wept and bewailed her lot, so that Hasan's mother let her have her way, and she went to the bath with her two little sons. And while she was at the bath even the passing women of the city stopped to gaze upon her beauty, so that the place was thronged with spectators. Now, it chanced that among those present was Tohfah the Lutanist, a slave-girl of Harun-al-Raschid, the Commander of the Faithful. So struck was she by the lady's marvelous beauty, that she ceased not to gaze upon her, and after the bath went out with her and followed her till she saw where she dwelt. Then she returned to the Caliph's palace and presented herself before Lady Zubaydah, who said, "O Tohfah, why hast thou tarried in the Hammam?" She replied, "O, my lady, I have seen a marvel, never saw I its like among men or women." "What was that?" asked Zubaydah. "O, my lady, I