her riddle; but I must be silent, on pain of death.'

Now in the princess's household there was a girl called
Dil-aram[FN#7]; she it was who had first seen the image of the
prince. She came to love him very much, and she spent day and
night thinking how she could make her affection known to him.
One day she escaped from the princess's notice and went to the
prince, and laid her head on his feet and said: ' Heaven has
bestowed on you beauty and charm. Tell me your secret; who are
you, and how did you come here? I love you very much, and if you
would like to leave this place I will go with you. I have wealth
equal to the treasure of the miserly Qarun.' But the prince only
made answer like a man distraught, and told her nothing. He said
to himself, ' God forbid that the veil should be taken in vain
from my secret; that would indeed disgrace me.' So, with
streaming eyes and burning breast, Dil-aram arose and went to her
house and lamented and fretted.

Now whenever the princess commanded the prince's attendance,
Dil-aram, of all the girls, paid him attention and waited on him
best. The princess noticed this, and said: 'O Dil-aram! you must
take my madman into your charge and give him whatever he wants.'
This was the very thing Dil- aram had prayed for. A little later
she took the prince into a private place and she made him take an
oath of secrecy, and she herself took one and swore, ' By Heaven!
I will not tell your secret. Tell me all about yourself so that
I may help you to get what you want.' The prince now recognised
in her words the perfume of true love, and he made compact with
her. 'O lovely girl! I want to know what the rose did to the
cypress. Your mistress cuts off men's heads because of this