oppress me not, but have compassion on me and aid me to regain my wife and children." And the Queen replied, "I have compassion on thee, and am resolved to show thee in review of all the maidens in the city and in the provinces. If thou discover among them thy wife I will deliver her to thee, but if thou know her not, I will put thee to death and crucify thee over the old woman's door." And the Queen commanded that all the maidens in the Island should be brought before her, and that they should pass before Hasan hundred after hundred, but he tound not his wife amongst them. And the Queen was enraged and said: "Take him along, face to earth, and cut off his head." So they threw him down and dragged him along, and with bared brands awaited the royal permission. But the old woman kneeled before the Queen and said: "Verily he hath entered our land, and eaten of our meat, wherefore he hath a claim upon us, the more especially since I promised him to bring him in company with thee; and thou knowest that parting is a grievous ill and severance hath power to kill, especially separation from children. Now he hath seen all our women save only thyself, so do thou show Jiim thy face." The Queen smiled and said: "How can he be my husband and have had children by me, that I should show him my face?" Then she made them bring Hasan before her, and unveiled her face, which when he saw he cried out with a great cry and fell down fainting. And when he came to himself he looked on the Queen's face, and
