صفحة 464 من 1116

But before going she again charged me saying, "I again swear by

Him who made the two seas flow[FN#327] (and this be my second

oath) if thou gainsay me I will come and transform thee like thy

sisters." Since then I have never failed, O Commander of the

Faithful, to beat them with that number of blows till their blood

flows with my tears, I pitying them the while, and well they wot

that their being scourged is no fault of mine and they accept my

excuses. And this is my tale and my history! The Caliph marvelled

at her adventures and then signed to Ja'afar who said to the

second lady, the Portress, "And thou, how camest thou by the

welts and wheals upon thy body?" So she began the

Tale of the Portress.