Judges"What
loveliness! What charms! Oh, my heart, my soul!" he exclaimed, as he
kissed her forehead, her eyes and mouth in a way which would certainly
have roused her had not the genie's enchantments kept her asleep.
"How, fair lady!" he cried, "you do not wake at the signs of
Camaralzaman's love? Be you who you may, he is not unworthy of you."
It then suddenly occurred to him, that perhaps this was the bride his
father had destined for him, and that the King had probably had her
placed in this room in order to see how far Camaralzaman's aversion to
marriage would withstand her charms.
"At all events," he thought, "I will take this ring as a remembrance
of her."
Heading One
So saying he drew off a fine ring which the princess wore on her
finger, and replaced it by one of his own. After which he lay down again
and was soon fast asleep.
Then Danhasch, in his turn, took the form of a gnat and bit the
princess on her lip.
She started up, and was not a little amazed at seeing a young man
beside her. From surprise she soon passed to admiration, and then to
delight on perceiving how handsome and fascinating he was.
"Why," cried she, "was it you my father wished me to marry? How
unlucky that I did not know sooner! I should not have made him so angry.
But wake up! wake up! for I know I shall love you with all my heart."
Heading Two
So saying she shook Camaralzaman so violently that nothing but the
spells of Maimoune could have prevented his waking.
"Oh!" cried the princess. "Why are you so drowsy?" So saying she took
his hand and noticed her own ring on his finger, which made her wonder
still more. But as he still remained in a profound slumber she pressed a
kiss on his cheek and soon fell fast asleep too.
Then Maimoune turning to the genie said: "Well, are you satisfied
that my prince surpasses your princess? Another time pray believe me
when I assert anything."
Then turning to Caschcasch: "My thanks to you, and now do you and
Danhasch bear the princess back to her own home."
The two genii hastened to obey, and Maimoune returned to her well.
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On
waking next morning the first thing Prince Camaralzaman did was to
look round for the lovely lady he had seen at night,
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and the next to question the slave who waited on him about her.
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But the slave persisted so strongly that he knew nothing of any
lady,
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and still less of how she got into the tower,
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that the prince lost all patience,
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and after giving him a good beating tied a rope round him and ducked
him in the well till the unfortunate man cried out that he would
tell everything.
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Then the prince drew him up all dripping wet,
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but the slave begged leave to change his clothes first,
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and as soon as the prince consented hurried off just as he was to the
palace. Here he found the king talking to the grand-vizir of all the
anxiety his son had caused him. The slave was admitted at once and
cried: "Alas, Sire! I bring sad news to your Majesty. There can be no
doubt that the prince has completely lost his senses. He declares that
he saw a lady sleeping on his couch last night, and the state you see me
in proves how violent contradiction makes him." He then gave a minute
account of all the prince had said and done.
Heading Three
The king, much moved, begged the vizir to examine into this new
misfortune, and the latter at once went to the tower, where he found the
prince quietly reading a book. After the first exchange of greetings the
vizir said: "I feel really very angry with your slave for alarming his
Majesty by the news he brought him."
Continued
