that thou wilt acquaint him with the cause of this my condition
and that he will pardon me for not answering him and blame me
not, but rather accept my excuses."--And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-third Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, "O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do
tell us some of thy pleasant tales," whereupon Shahrazad replied,
"With love and good will."--It hath reached me, O King of the
Age, that when the Queen heard these words of Princess Badr al-
Budur, she said to her, "O my child, compose thy thoughts. An
thou tell such tale before any, haply shall he say, 'Verily, the
Sultan's daughter hath lost her wits.' And thou hast done right
well in not choosing to recount thine adventure to thy father;
and beware and again I say beware, O my daughter, lest thou
inform him thereof." The Princess replied, "O my mother, I have
spoken to thee like one sound in senses nor have I lost my wits:
this be what befel me and, if thou believe it not because coming
from me, ask my bridegroom." To which the Queen replied, "Rise up
straightway, O my daughter, and banish from thy thoughts such
fancies as these; and robe thyself and come forth to glance at
the bridal feasts and festivities they are making in the city for
the sake of thee and thy nuptials; and listen to the drumming and
the singing and look at the decorations all intended to honour
thy marriage, O my daughter." So saying, the Queen at once
summoned the tirewomen who dressed and prepared the Lady Badr al-
Budur; and presently she went in to the Sultan and assured him
that their daughter had suffered during all her wedding-night
from swevens and nightmare and said to him, "Be not severe with