Pagina 559 van 1116

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the

Jinni narrated to the Jinniyah how the King had caused the

wedding contract to be drawn up between the hunchbacked groom and

the lovely young lady who was heart-broken for sorrow; and how

she was the fairest of created things and even more beautiful

than this youth, the Jinniyah cried at him "Thou liest! this

youth is handsomer than any one of his day." The Ifrit gave her

the lie again, adding, "By Allah, O my sister, the damsel I speak

of is fairer than this; yet none but he deserveth her, for they

resemble each other like brother and sister or at least cousins.

And, well-away!