after receiving the royal charge to repair to the slave-bazar
every day, and entrust to brokers the matter aforesaid. Moreover
the King issued orders that girls worth above a thousand gold
pieces should not be bought or sold without being first displayed
to the Wazir. Accordingly no broker purchased a slave-girl ere
she had been paraded before the minister; but none pleased him,
till one day a dealer came to the house and found him taking
horse and intending for the palace. So he caught hold of his
stirrup saying,

"O thou, who givest to royal state sweet savour, * Thou'rt a
Wazir shalt never fail of favour!
Dead Bounty thou hast raised to life for men; * Ne'er fail of
Allah's grace such high endeavour!"

Then quoth he, "O my lord, that surpassing object for whom the
gracious mandate was issued is at last found; [FN#5]" and quoth
the Wazir, "Here with her to me!" So he went away and returned
after a little, bringing a damsel in richest raiment robed, a
maid spear-straight of stature and five feet tall; budding of
bosom with eyes large and black as by Kohl traced, and dewy lips
sweeter than syrup or the sherbet one sips, a virginette smooth
cheeked and shapely faced, whose slender waist with massive hips
was engraced; a form more pleasing than branchlet waving upon the
top-most trees, and a voice softer and gentler than the morning
breeze, even as saith one of those who have described her,

"Strange is the charm which dights her brows like Luna's disk
that shine; * O sweeter taste than sweetest Robb[FN#6] or
raisins of the vine.