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She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the

young ensorcelled Prince said to the King, "When I smote the

slave with intent to strike off his head, I thought that I had

slain him; for he groaned a loud hissing groan, but I had cut

only the skin and flesh of the gullet and the two arteries! It

awoke the daughter of my uncle, so I sheathed the sword and fared

forth for the city; and, entering the palace, lay upon my bed and

slept till morning when my wife aroused me and I saw that she had

cut off her hair and had donned mourning garments. Quoth she:-O

son of my uncle, blame me not for what I do; it hath just reached

me that my mother is dead, and my father hath been killed in holy

war, and of my brothers one hath lost his life by a snake sting

and the other by falling down some precipice; and I can and

should do naught save weep and lament. When I heard her words I

refrained from all reproach and said only:-Do as thou list; I

certainly will not thwart thee.