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Beware lest thou look too long on him or on any place other than that where thou settest thy feet: else thou art a lost man and I also. 'O Vizier, said Merzewan, 'I conjure thee by Allah, tell me of thy favour, the cause of this youth's malady. 'I know none, answered the Vizier, 'save that, three years ago, his father pressed him to marry, but he refused; whereat the King was wroth and imprisoned him.
Next morning, when the King had gone away and the two young men were left alone, Kemerezzeman told Merzewan his story from first to last and the latter said to him, 'I know her with whom thou didst foregather; her name is the princess Budour and she is daughter to King Ghaiour. Then he told him all that had befallen the princess and acquainted him with the excessive love she bore him, saying, 'All that befell thee with thy father hath befallen her with hers, and thou art without doubt her beloved, even as she is thine; so brace up thy resolution and take heart, for I will bring thee to her and unite you both anon and deal with you even as saith the poet: Though to the lover adverse be the fair And drive him with her rigours to despair, Yet will I soon unite them, even as I The pivot of a pair of scissors were.
They entered the city and took up their lodging at a khan, where they rested three days from the fatigues of the journey; after which Merzewan carried Kemerezzeman to the bath and clothing him in a merchant's habit, provided him with a geomantic tablet of gold, a set of astrological instruments and an astrolabe of silver, plated with gold.
If love be my crime For thee, my offence, of a truth, is not light. Doth passion blaze up in thy heart like to mine? I suffer the torments of hell day and night. 'O my father, answered Kemerezzeman, 'God willing, I will lie but one night abroad. Then he took leave of him, and he and Merzewan mounted and taking with them the dromedary and camel, rode out into the open country.
So by Allah, O my son, when thou comest up into the palace, look not on the prince, but go thy way; for the King's heart is full of anger against me. 'By Allah, said Merzewan in himself, 'this is he whom I sought! Then he followed the Vizier up to the palace, where the latter seated himself at the prince's feet; but Merzewan must needs go up to Kemerezzeman and stand before him, gazing on him.
When he had made an end of these verses, Merzewan said to him, 'See, yonder are King Ghaiour's Islands. Whereat Kemerezzeman rejoiced with an exceeding joy and thanked him for what he had done and strained him to his bosom and kissed him between the eyes.
Then said Merzewan to Kemerezzeman, 'Know, O my lord, that the sole object of my journey hither was to deliver the princess Budour from her present strait; and it remains but for us to devise how we may get to her, since thy father cannot brook the thought of parting with thee.
'See then, O my brother, added she, 'how thou mayest aid me in this my affliction. Merzewan bowed his head awhile, marvelling and knowing not what to do, then raised it and said to her, 'I believe all thou hast said to be true, though the case of the young man passes my imagination: but I will go round about all countries and seek for what may heal thee; peradventure God shall appoint thy deliverance to be at my hand.
So Merzewan took him by the hand and carried him to the bath, where they washed their bodies and made them clean. When his father heard of this, in his joy he freed the prisoners and gave alms to the poor; moreover he bestowed splendid dresses of honour upon his grandees and let decorate the city seven days.
They drew not bridle from the first of the day till nightfall, when they halted and ate and drank and fed their beasts and rested awhile; after which they again took horse and fared on three days, till they came to a spacious wooded tract. Here they alighted and Merzewan, taking the camel and one of the horses, slaughtered them and cut the flesh off their bones.
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