set before them a tray containing birds of every king that walk
and fly and in nests increase and multiply, such as sand-grouse
and quails and pigeon-poults and lambs and fatted geese and fried
poultry and other dishes of all sorts and colours. The Princess
put out her hand to the tray and began to eat and feed the Wazir
with her fair finger-tips and kiss him on the mouth. They ate
till they had enough and washed their hands, after which the
handmaidens removed the table of food and set on the service of
wine. So Princess Miriam filled the cup and drank and gave the
Wazir to drink and served him with assiduous service, so that he
was like to fly for joy and his breast broadened and he was of
the gladdest. When she saw that the wine had gotten the better of
his senses, she thrust her hand into her bosom and brought out a
pastil of virgin Cretan-Bhang, which she had provided against
such an hour, whereof if an elephant smelt a dirham's weight, he
would sleep from year to year. She distracted his attention and
crumbled the drug into the cup: then, filling it up, handed it to
the Wazir, who could hardly credit his senses for delight. So he
took it and kissing her hand, drank it off, but hardly had it
settled in his stomach when he fell head foremost to the ground.
Then she rose and filling two great pairs of saddle-bags with
what was light of weight and weighty of worth of jewels and
jacinths and precious stones, together with somewhat of meat and
drink, donned harness of war and armed herself for fight. She
also took with her for Nur al-Din what should rejoice him of rich
and royal apparel and splendid arms and armour, and shouldering
the bags (for indeed her strength equalled her valiancy),
hastened forth from the new palace to join her lover. On this
wise fared it with the Lady Miriam; but as regards Nur
al-Din,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to