Page 598 sur 1116

Then he left me here and went away, Allah curse the bride and him

who married me to her!" The Wazir walked up to him and lifted his

head out of the cesspool hole; and he fared forth running for

dear life and hardly crediting that the sun had risen; and

repaired to the Sultan to whom he told all that had befallen him

with the Ifrit. But the Wazir returned to the bride's private

chamber, sore troubled in spirit about her, and said to her, "O

my daughter, explain this strange matter to me!" Quoth she, "Tis

simply this. The bridegroom to whom they displayed me yestereve

lay with me all night, and took my virginity and I am with child

by him.