wedded couple upon their bridal bed. Aladdin rejoiced to see them with
exceeding joy, then he cried to the slave, "Carry yonder gallowsbird

hence and lay him at full length in the privy." His bidding was done
straightway, but before leaving him, the slave blew upon the

bridegroom a blast so cold that it shriveled him, and the plight of
the Wazir's son became piteous. Then the servitor, returning to

Aladdin, said to him, "An thou require aught else, inform me thereof,"
and said the other, "Return a-morn, that thou mayest restore them to

their stead," whereto, "I hear and obey," quoth the Marid, and
evanished.

Presently Aladdin arose, hardly believing that the affair had been
such a success for him, but whenas he looked upon the Lady Badr

al-Budur lying under his own roof, albeit he had long burned with
her love, yet he preserved respect for her and said: "O Princess of

fair ones, think not that I brought thee hither to minish thy honor.
Heaven forfend! Nay, 'twas only to prevent the wrong man enjoying

thee, for that thy sire, the Sultan, promised thee to me. So do thou
rest in peace." When the Lady Badr al-Budur, daughter of the Sultan,

saw herself in that mean and darksome lodging, and heard Aladdin's
words, she was seized with fear and trembling and waxed clean

distraught, nor could she return aught of reply. Presently the youth
arose, and stripping off his outer dress, placed a scimitar between

them and lay upon the bed beside the Princess. And he did no villain
deed, for it sufficed him to prevent the consummation of her

nuptials with the Wazir's son. On the other hand, the Lady Badr
al-Budur passed a night the evilest of all nights, nor in her born

days had she seen a worse. And the same was the case with the
Minister's son, who lay in the chapel of ease and who dared not stir

for the fear of the Jinni which overwhelmed him.
As soon as it was morning the slave appeared before Aladdin

without the lamp being rubbed, and said to him: "O my lord, an thou
require aught, command me therefor, that I may do it upon my head

and mine eyes." Said the other: "Go, take up and carry the bride and
bridegroom to their own apartment." So the servitor did his bidding in

an eye glance and bore away the pair and placed them in the palace
as whilom they were and without their seeing anyone. But both died

of affright when they found themselves being transported from stead to
stead. And the Marid had barely time to set them down and wend his

ways ere the Sultan came on a visit of congratulation to his daughter.
And when the Wazir's son heard the doors thrown open, he sprang

straightway from his couch and donned his dress, for he knew that none
save the King could enter at that hour. Yet it was exceedingly hard

for him to leave his bed, wherein he wished to warm himself a trifle
after his cold night in the watercloset which he had lately left.

The Sultan went in to his daughter, Badr al-Budur, and, kissing her
between the eyes, gave her good morning and asked her of her

bridegroom and whether she was pleased and satisfied with him. But she
returned no reply whatever and looked at him with the eye of anger,

and although he repeated his words again and again, she held her
peace, nor bespake him with a single syllable.

So the King quitted her and, going to the Queen, informed her of
what had taken place, between him and his daughter, and the mother,

unwilling to leave the Sultan angered with their child, said to him:
"O King of the Age, this be the custom of most newly married

couples, at least during their first days of marriage, for that they
are bashful and somewhat coy. So deign thou excuse her, and after a

little while she will again become herself and speak with the folk
as before, whereas now her shame, O King of the Age, keepeth her

silent. However, 'tis my wish to fare forth and see her." Thereupon
the Queen arose and donned her dress, then, going to her daughter,

wished her good morning and kissed her between the eyes. Yet would the
Princess make no answer at all, whereat quoth the Queen to herself:

"Doubtless some strange matter hath occurred to trouble her with
such trouble as this." So she asked her, saying: "O my daughter,

what hath caused this thy case? Let me know what hath betided thee
that when I come and give thee good morniing, thou hast not a word

to say to me." Thereat the Lady Badr al-Budur raised her head and
said: "Pardon me, O my mother, 'twas my duty to meet thee with all

respect and worship, seeing that thou hast honored me by this visit.
However, I pray thee to hear the cause of this my condition and see

how the night I have just spent hath been to me the evilest of the
nights. Hardly had we lain down, O my mother, than one whose form I

wot not uplifted our bed and transported it to a darksome place,
fulsome and mean."

Then the Princess related to the Queen Mother all that had
befallen her that night- how they had taken away her bridegroom,

leaving her lone and lonesome, and how after a while came another
youth who lay beside her in lieu of her bridegroom, after placing

his scimitar between her and himself. "And in the morning," she
continued, "he who carried us off returned and bore us straight back

to our own stead. But at once when he arrived hither he left us, and
suddenly my sire, the Sultan, entered at the hour and moment of our

coming and I had nor heart nor tongue to speak him withal, for the
stress of the terror and trembling which came upon me. Haply such lack

of duty may have proved sore to him, so I hope, O my mother, that thou
wilt acquaint him with the cause of this my condition, and pardon me

for not answering him and blame me not, accept my excuses."
When the Queen heard these words of Princess Badr al-Budur, she said

to her: "O my child, compose thy thoughts. An thou tell such tale
before any, haply shall he say, 'Verily, the Sultan's daughter hath

lost her wits.' And thou hast done right well in not choosing to
recount thine adventure to thy father, and beware, and again I say

beware, O my daughter, lest thou inform him thereof." The Princess
replied: "O my mother, I have spoken to thee like one sound in senses,

nor have I lost my wits. This be what befell me, and if thou believe
it not because coming from me, ask my bridegroom." To which the

Queen replied: "Rise up straightway, O my daughter, and banish from
thy thoughts such fancies as these. And robe thyself and come forth to

glance at the bridal feasts and festivities they are making in the
city for the sake of thee and thy nuptials, and listen to the drumming

and the singing and look at the decorations all intended to honor
thy marriage, O my daughter."

So saying, the Queen at once summoned the tirewoman, who dressed and
prepared the Lady Badr al-Budur, and presently she went in to the

Sultan and assured him that their daughter had suffered during all her
wedding night from swevens and nightmare, and said to him, "Be not

severe with her for not answering thee." Then the Queen sent privily
for the Wazir's son and asked of the matter, saying, "Tell me, are

these words of the Lady Badr al-Budur soothfast or not?" But he, in
his fear of losing his bride out of hand, answered, "O my lady, I have

no knowledge of that whereof thou speakest." Accordingly the mother
made sure that her daughter had seen visions and dreams. The

marriage feasts lasted throughout that day with almes and singers
and the smiting of all manner instruments of mirth and merriment,

while the Queen and the Wazir and his son strave right strenuously
to enhance the festivities that the Princess might enjoy herself.

And that day they left nothing of what exciteth to pleasure
unrepresented in her presence, to the end that she might forget what

was in her thoughts and derive increase of joyance.
Yet did naught of this take any effect upon her- nay, she sat in

silence, sad of thought, sore perplexed at what had befallen her
during the last night. It is true that the Wazir's son had suffered

even more he had passed his sleeping hours lying in the watercloset.
He, however had falsed the story and had cast out remembrance of the

night, in the first place for his fear of losing his bride and with
her the honor of a connection which brought him such excess of

consideration and for which men envied him so much, and secondly, on
account of the wondrousloveliness of the Lady Badr al-Budur and her