When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-fifth 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 Sultan heard his daughter's words, he was
saddened and his eyes brimmed with tears, then he sheathed his
sabre and kissed her saying, "O my daughter wherefore[FN#151]
didst thou not tell me what happened on the past night that I
might have guarded thee from this torture and terror which
visited thee a second time? But now 'tis no matter. Rise and cast
out all such care and to-night I will set a watch to ward thee
nor shall any mishap again make thee miserable." Then the Sultan
returned to his palace and straightway bade summon the Grand
Wazir and asked him, as he stood before him in his service, "O
Wazir how dost thou look upon this matter? Haply thy son hath
informed thee of what occurred to him and to my daughter." The
Minister replied, "O King of the Age, I have not seen my son or
yesterday or to-day." Hereat the Sultan told him all that had
afflicted the Princess, adding, " 'tis my desire that thou at
once seek tidings of thy son concerning the facts of the case:
peradventure of her fear my daughter may not be fully aware of
what really befel her; withal I hold all her words to be
truthful." So the Grand Wazir arose and, going forth, bade summon
his son and asked him anent all his lord had told him whether it
be true or untrue. The youth replied, "O my father the Wazir,
Heaven forbid that the Lady Badr al-Budur speak falsely: indeed
all she said was sooth and these two nights proved to us the
evillest of our nights instead of being nights of pleasure and
marriage-joys. But what befel me was the greater evil because,