28
aught goodlier than these fair fashions of thine! By Allah, he is little of wit and judgment! But, O king of the age, be thou not wroth with him for that which he hath done; for, if thou love me a span, verily I love thee a cubit. Indeed, I have fallen into the snare of thy love and am become of the number of those thou hast slain. The love that was with thee hath transferred itself to me and there is left thereof with thee but a tithe of that which is with me.’
So saying, she came down from the tree and strained him to her bosom and fell to kissing him; whereat passion and desire for her waxed on him and he doubted not but she loved him and trusted in her. So he returned her caresses and said to her, ‘By Allah, O princess, my uncle Salih set forth to me not a fortieth part of thy charms, no, nor a quarter of a carat[1] thereof!’ Jauhereh pressed him to her bosom and pronounced some unintelligible words; then spat in his face, saying, ‘Quit this shape of a man and take that of a bird, the handsomest of birds, white of plumage, with red bill and feet.’ Hardly had she spoken, when Bedr found himself transformed into a bird, the handsomest of birds, which shook itself and stood, looking at her.
Now Jauhereh had with her one of her slave-girls, by name Mersineh; so she called her and said to her, ‘By Allah, but that I fear for my father, who is his uncle’s prisoner, I would kill him! May God not requite him with good! How unlucky was his coming to us; for all this trouble is due to him! But do thou carry him to the Thirsty Island and leave him there to die of thirst.’ So Mersineh carried him to the island in question and would have returned and left him there; but she said in herself, ‘By Allah, one of such beauty and grace deserveth not to die of thirst!’ So she brought him to another island,
- ↑ A carat is a twenty-fourth part of anything.
