UNS AL-WUJUD AND THE WAZIR'S DAUGHTER AL-
WARD FI'L-AKMAM OR ROSE-IN-HOOD.[FN#30]


There was once, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone
before, a King of great power and lord of glory and dominion
galore; who had a Wazir Ibrahim hight, and this Wazir's daughter
was a damsel of extraordinary beauty and loveliness, gifted with
passing brilliancy and the perfection of grace, possessed of
abundant wit, and in all good breeding complete. But she loved
wassail and wine and the human face divine and choice verses and
rare stories; and the delicacy of her inner gifts invited all
hearts to love, even as saith the poet, describing her,

"Like moon she shines amid the starry sky, *
Robing in tresses blackest ink outvie.
The morning-breezes give her boughs fair drink, *
And like a branch she sways with supple ply:
She smiles in passing us. O thou that art *
Fairest in yellow robed, or cramoisie,
Thou playest with my wit in love, as though *
Sparrow in hand of playful boy were I."[FN#31]

Her name was Rose-in-Hood and she was so named for her young and
tender beauty and the freshness of her brilliancy; and the King