The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 2 | Page 6

"Come with us to the Hammam, for it is some days
since we went there:" they answered, "To hear is to obey!" and rose and
all accompanied her. Now she had set two little slave-girls to keep the
door of the private chamber wherein was Anis al-Jalis and had said to
them, "Suffer none go in to the damsel." Presently, as the beautiful
maiden sat resting in her rooms, suddenly came in the Wazir's son
whose name was Nur al-Din Ali,[FN#17] and asked after his mother
and her women, to which the two little slave-girls replied, "They are in
the Hammam." But the damsel, Anis al-Jalis, had heard from within
Nur al-Din Ali's voice and had said to herself, "O would Heaven I saw
what like is this youth against whom the Wazir warned me, saying that
he hath not left a virgin in the neighbourhood without taking her
virginity: by Allah, I do long to have sight of him!" So she sprang to
her feet with the freshness of the bath on her and, stepping to the door,
looked at Nur al-Din Ali and saw a youth like the moon in its full and
the sight bequeathed her a thousand sighs. The young man also glanced
at her and the look make him heir to a thousand thoughts of care; and
each fell into Love's ready snare. Then he stepped up to the two little
slave-girls and cried aloud at them; whereupon both fled before him

and stood afar off to see what he would do. And behold, he walked to
the door of the damsel's chamber and, opening it, went in and asked her
"Art thou she my father bought for me?" and she answered "Yes."
Thereupon the youth, who was warm with wine, came up to her and
embraced her; then he took her legs and passed them round his waist
and she wound her arms about his neck, and met him with kisses and
murmurs of pleasure and amorous toyings. Next he sucked her tongue
and she sucked his, and lastly, he loosed the strings of her
petticoat-trousers and abated her maidenhead. When the two little
slave-girls saw their young master get in unto the damsel, Anis al-Jalis,
they cried out and shrieked; so as soon as the youth had had his wicked
will of her, he rose and fled forth fearing the consequences of his
ill-doing. When the Wazir's wife heard the slave-girls' cries, she sprang
up and came out of the baths with the perspiration pouring from her
face, saying, "What is this unseemly clamour in the house[FN#18]?"
Then she came up to the two little slave- girls and asked them saying,
"Fie upon you! what is the matter?"; and both answered, "Verily our
lord Nur al-Din came in and beat us, so we fled; then he went up to
Anis al-Jalis and threw his arms round her and we know not what he
did after that; but when we cried out to thee he ran away." Upon this
the lady went to Anis al-Jalis and said to her, "What tidings?" "O my
lady," she answered, "as I was sitting here lo! a handsome young man
came in and said to me:--Art thou she my father bought for me?; and I
answered Yes; for, by Allah, O mistress mine, I believed that his words
were true; and he instantly came in and embraced me." "Did he nought
else with thee but this?" quoth the lady, and quoth she, "Indeed he did!
But he did it only three times." "He did not leave thee without
dishonouring thee!" cried the Wazir's wife and fell to weeping and
buffetting her face, she and the girl and all the handmaidens, fearing
lest Nur al-Din's father should kill him.[FN#19] Whilst they were thus,
in came the Wazir and asked what was the matter, and his wife said to
him, "Swear that whatso I tell thee thou wilt attend to it." "I will,"
answered he. So she related to him what his son had done, whereat he
was much concerned and rent his raiment and smote his face till his
nose bled, and plucked out his beard by the handful. "Do not kill
thyself," said his wife, "I will give thee ten thousand dinars, her price,
of my own money." But he raised his head and cried, "Out upon thee! I

have no need of her purchase-money: my fear is lest life as well as
money go." "O my lord, and how is that?" "Wottest thou not that
yonder standeth our enemy Al Mu'ín bin Sáwí who, as soon as he shall
hear of this matter, will go up to the Sultan"--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Thirty-fifth Night,
She continued,