第15章

But I charge thee，O my brother，keep the matter secret from my sisterhood and discover not thy case to any one of them，lest my life be lost with thy life.An they question thee of opening the forbidden door，reply to them，'I opened it not；no，never；but I was troubled at heart for your absence and by my loneliness here and yearning for you.''[65] And he answered，'Yes： this is the right rede.' So he kissed her head and his heart was comforted and his bosom broadened.He had been nigh upon death for excess of affright，for he had gone in fear of her by reason of his having opened the door；but now his life and soul returned to him.Then he sought of her somewhat of food and after serving it she left him，and went in to her sisters，weeping and mourning for him.They questioned her of her case and she told them how she was heavy at heart for her brother，because he was sick and for ten days no food had found way into his stomach.So they asked the cause of his sickness and she answered，'The reason was our severance from him and our leaving him desolate；for these days we have been absent from him were longer to him than a thousand years and scant blame to him，seeing he is a stranger；and solitary and we left him alone，with none to company with him or hearten his heart；more by token that he is but a youth and may be he called to mind his family and his mother，who is a woman in years，and bethought him that she weepeth for him all whiles of the day and watches of the night，ever mourning his loss；and we used to solace him with our society and divert him from thinking of her.'When her sisters heard these words they wept in the stress of their distress for him and said；'Wa'll hi--'fore Allah，he is not to blame！'Then they went out to the army and dismissed it，after which they went into Hasan and saluted him with the salam.When they saw his charms changed with yellow colour and shrunken body，they wept for very pity and sat by his side and comforted him and cheered him with converse；relating to him all they had seen by the way of wonders and rarities and what had befallen the bridegroom with the bride.

They abode with him thus a whole month，tendering him and caressing him with words sweeter than syrup；but every day sickness was added to his sickness，which when they saw，they bewept him with sore weeping，and the youngest wept even more than the rest.At the end of this time，the Princesses having made up their minds to ride forth a-hunting and a-birding invited their sister to accompany them，but she said，'By Allah，O my sisters，I cannot go forth with you whilst my brother is in this plight，nor indeed till he be restored to health and there cease from him that which is with him of affliction.Rather will I sit with him and comfort him.'They thanked her for her kindness and said to her，'Allah will requite thee all thou dost with this stranger.'Then they left her with him in the palace and rode forth taking with them twenty days' victual；--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night； She resumed，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Princesses mounted and rode forth a-hunting and a-birding，after leaving in the palace their youngest sister sitting by Hasan's side；and as soon as the damsel knew that they had covered a long distance from home，she went in to him and said，'O my brother；come，show me the place where thou sawest the maidens.'He rejoiced in her words，making sure of winning his wish，and replied，'Bismillah！ On my head！'Then he essayed to rise and show her the place，but could not walk；so she took him up in her arms，holding him to her bosom between her breasts；and，opening the staircase-door，carried him to the top of the palace，and he showed her the pavilion where he had seen the girls and the basin of water，wherein they had bathed.Then she said to him，'Set forth to me，O my brother，their case and how they came.' So he described to her whatso he had seen of them and especially the girl of whom he was enamoured；but hearing these words she knew her and her cheeks paled and her case changed.Quoth he，'O my sister，what aileth thee to wax wan and be troubled？'；and quoth she，'O my brother，know thou that this young lady is the daughter of a Sovran of the Jann，of one of the most puissant of their Kings，and her father had dominion over men and Jinn and wizards and Cohens and tribal chiefs and guards and countries and cities and islands galore and hath immense wealth in store.Our father is a Viceroy and one of his vassals and none can avail against him，for the multitude of his many and the extent of his empire and the muchness of his monies.He hath assigned to his offspring，the daughters thou sawest，a tract of country，a whole year's journey in length and breadth，a region girt about with a great river and a deep；and thereto none may attain，nor man nor Jann.He hath an army of women，smiters with swords and lungers with lances，five-and-twenty thousand in number，each of whom；whenas she mounteth steed and donneth battle-gear，eveneth a thousand knights of the bravest.Moreover，he hath seven daughters，who in valour and prowess equal and even excel their sisters，[66] and he hath made the eldest of them，the damsel whom thou sawest，[67] queen over the country aforesaid and who is the wisest of her sisters and in valour and horsemanship and craft and skill and magic excels all the folk of her dominions.