began donning his dress whilst his ribs were wrung with cold; for
when the King entered the Slave had but just brought him back.
The Sultan, raising the arras,[FN#149] drew near his daughter as
she lay abed and gave her good morning; then kissing her between
the eyes, he asked her of her case. But he saw her looking sour
and sad and she answered him not at all, only glowering at him as
one in anger and her plight was pitiable. Hereat the Sultan waxed
wroth with her for that she would not reply and he suspected that
something evil had befallen her,[FN#150] whereupon he bared his
blade and cried to her, brand in hand, saying, "What be this hath
betided thee? Either acquaint me with what happened or this very
moment I will take thy life! Is such conduct the token of honour
and respect I expect of thee, that I address thee and thou
answerest me not a word?" When the Lady Badar al- Badur saw her
sire in high dudgeon and the naked glaive in his grip, she was
freed from her fear of the past, so she raised her head and said
to him, "O my beloved father, be not wroth with me nor be hasty
in thy hot passion for I am excusable in what thou shalt see of
my case. So do thou lend an ear to what occurred to me and well I
wot that after hearing my account of what befel to me during
these two last nights, thou wilt pardon me and thy Highness will
be softened to pitying me even as I claim of thee affection for
thy child." Then the Princess informed her father of all that had
betided her adding, "O my sire, an thou believe me not, ask my
bridegroom and he will recount to thy Highness the whole
adventure, nor did I know either what they would do with him when
they bore him away from my side or where they would place him."--
And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day, and ceased to say
her permitted say.