coming night, or, if thou be wanting in aught and morning shall
morrow without all the needful being finished, I will cut 0ff thy
head. This is the fine of thy three labours which an thou avail
to accomplish thou shalt attain thine aim and if thou fail
thereof I will smite thy neck. Such be then my last word."
Accordingly the Prince arose and faring from before him entered
the unfinished mansion which he found to be a palace greater and
grander than that wherein the King abode. He cried, "O Veiler,
withdraw not Thy veiling!" and he sat therein by himself (and he
drowned in thought) and said, "By Allah, if at this hour I could
find somewhat to swallow I would die thereby and rest from this
toil and trouble have been my lot;[FN#13] and the morning shall
not morrow ere I shall find repose nor shall any one of the town
folk solace himself and say, 'The Sultan is about to cut off the
head of this youth.' Withal the bye-word hath it, 'Joyance which
cometh from Allah is nearer than is the eyebrow to the eye,' and
if Almighty (be He extolled and exalted!) have determined aught
to my destiny, there is no flight therefrom. Moreover one of the
Sages hath said, 'He released me from pillar to post and the
Almighty bringeth happiness nearhand.' From this time until dawn
of day many a matter may proceed from the Lord wherein haply
shall be salvation for me or destruction." Then he fell to
pondering his affair and thinking over his frowardness to the
wife of his father, after which he said, "The slave meditateth
and the Lord determineth, nor doth the meditation of the slave
accord with the determination of the Lord." And while thus
drowned in care he heard the sound of the Darabukkah-drum[FN#14]
and the turmoil of work and the shiftings of voices whilst the
house was full of forms dimly seen and a voice cried out to him,
"O youth, be hearty of heart and sprightly of spirits; verily we