Fairy Tales from the Arabian Nights | Page 7

the King of Persia, who was still in the recess, heard this he
began to love her more than ever, and resolved to express his gratitude
in every possible way.
Presently Queen Gulnare clapped her hands, and in came some of her
slaves, whom she had ordered to bring in a meal: as soon as it was
served up, she invited the queen her mother, the king her brother, and
her cousins, to sit down and take part of it. They began to reflect, that
without asking leave, they had got into the palace of a mighty king,
who had never seen nor heard of them, and that it would be a great
piece of rudeness to eat at his table without him. This reflection raised a

blush in their faces; in their emotion their eyes glowed like fire, and
they breathed flames at their mouths and nostrils.
This unexpected sight put the King of Persia, who was totally ignorant
of the cause of it, into a dreadful consternation. Queen Gulnare
suspecting this, and understanding the intention of her relations, rose
from her seat, and told them she would be back in a moment. She went
directly to the recess, and recovered the King of Persia from his
surprise.
'Sir,' said she, 'give me leave to assure you of the sincere friendship that
the queen my mother and the king my brother are pleased to honour
you with: they earnestly desire to see you, and tell you so themselves: I
intended to have some conversation with them by ordering a banquet
for them, before I introduced them to your majesty, but they are very
impatient to pay their respects to you: and therefore I desire your
majesty would be pleased to walk in, and honour them with your
presence.'
'Madam,' said the King of Persia, 'I should be very glad to salute
persons that have the honour to be so nearly related to you, but I am
afraid of the flames that they breathe at their mouths and nostrils.'
'Sir,' replied the queen, laughing, 'you need not in the least be afraid of
those flames, which are nothing but a sign of their unwillingness to eat
in your palace, without your honouring them with your presence, and
eating with them.'
The King of Persia, encouraged by these words, rose up, and came out
into the room with his Queen Gulnare. She presented him to the queen
her mother, to the king her brother, and to her other relations, who
instantly threw themselves at his feet, with their faces to the ground.
The King of Persia ran to them, and lifting them up, embraced them
one after another. After they were all seated, King Saleh began: 'Sir,'
said he to the King of Persia, 'we are at a loss for words to express our
joy to think that the queen my sister should have the happiness of
falling under the protection of so powerful a monarch. We can assure
you she is not unworthy of the high rank you have been pleased to raise

her to; and we have always had so much love and tenderness for her,
that we could never think of parting with her to any of the puissant
princes of the sea, who often demanded her in marriage before she
came of age. Heaven has reserved her for you, Sir, and we have no
better way of returning thanks to it for the favour it has done her, than
by beseeching it to grant your majesty a long and happy life with her,
and to crown you with prosperity and satisfaction.'
'Certainly,' replied the King of Persia, 'I cannot sufficiently thank either
the queen her mother, or you, Prince, or your whole family, for the
generosity with which you have consented to receive me into an
alliance so glorious to me as yours.' So saying, he invited them to take
part of the luncheon, and he and his queen sat down at the table with
them. After it was over, the King of Persia conversed with them till it
was very late; and when they thought it time to retire, he waited upon
them himself to the several rooms he had ordered to be prepared for
them.
Next day, as the King of Persia, Queen Gulnare, the queen her mother,
King Saleh her brother, and the princesses their relations, were
discoursing together in her majesty's room, the nurse came in with the
young Prince Beder in her arms. King Saleh no sooner saw him, than
he ran to embrace him; and taking him in his arms, fell to kissing and
caressing him with the greatest demonstration of tenderness. He took
several turns with him about the room, dancing and tossing him about,
when all of a sudden, through a