An hour before day, Dinarzade being awake, failed not to call upon
the sultaness, and said, Pray, dear sister, go on with the history
of the young king of the four Black Islands; Scheherazade, calling
to mind where she had left off, resumed the story thus:
As soon as the queen my wife went out, continued the king of the
Black Islands, I got up, dressed me in haste, took my scimitar, and
followed her so quick, that I soon heard the sound of her feet
before me, and then walked softly after her, for fear of being
heard. She passed through several gates, which opened upon her
pronouncing some magical words; and the last she opened was that of
the garden, which she entered. I stopped at that gate, that she
might not perceive me as she crossed a plat, and looking after her
as far as the darkness of the night permitted, I perceived that she
entered a little wood, whose walks were guarded by thick pallisades.
I went thither by another way, and slipping behind the pallisades of
a long walk, I saw her walking there with a man.
I was very attentive to their discourse, and heard her say thus to
her gallant: I do not deserve to be upbraided by you for want of
diligence; you know very well what hinders me; but if all the tokens
of love that I have already given you, be not enough, I am ready to
give you greater: you need but command me, you know my power. I
will, if you desire it, before sun-rising, change this great city,
and this fine palace, into frightful ruins, which shall be inhabited
by nothing but wolves, owls, and ravens. If you wish me to transport
all the stones of those walls so solidly built, beyond mount
Caucasus, and out of the bounds of the habitable world, speak but
the word, and all those places shall undergo a change.
As the queen finished these words, her gallant and she came to the
end of the walk, turned to enter another, and passed before me. I
had already drawn my scimitar, and her gallant being next me, I
struck him in the neck, and made him fall to the ground. I thought I
had killed him, and therefore retired speedily, without making
myself known to the queen, whom I chose to spare because she was my
kinswoman.
The blow I had given her gallant was mortal; but she preserved his
life by the force of her enchantments; in such a manner, however,
that he could not be said to be either dead or alive. As I crossed
the garden, to return to the palace, I heard the queen cry out
lamentably; and judging by that now much she was grieved, I was
pleased that I had spared her life.
When I returned to her apartment, I went to bed, and being satisfied
with having punished the villain that did me the injury, I went to
sleep; and when I awaked next morning, found the queen lying by me.
Scheherazade was obliged to stop here because she saw day.
O, heaven! sister, says Dinarzade, how it troubles me that you can
say no more. Sister, replies the sultaness, you ought to have awaked
me more early, it is your fault. I will make amends next night,
replies Dinarzade, for I doubt not out the sultan will be as willing
to hear out the story as I am; and I hope he will be so good as to
let you live one day more.