ce, as she entered. Accordingly he
betook himself to the bath, awhile in advance, and posted himself behind
the door, whereas none of the folk might see him.

Presently, the Sultan's daughter came forth and went round about the
city and its thoroughfares and diverted herself by viewing it; then
she repaired to the bath and when she came thither, she lifted her
face-veil, as she entered; whereupon her face shone out, as it were the
resplendent sun or a precious pearl, and she was as saith of her one of
her describers:

Who sprinkled the kohl of enchantment upon her eyes
And gathered the bloom of the rose from her cheeks, fruit-wise?
And who was it let down the curtained night of her hair
And eke through its glooms made the light of her forehead rise?

When she raised the veil from her face and Alaeddin saw her, he said,
"Verily, her fashion glorifieth the Great Creator and extolled be the
perfection of Him who made her and graced her with this beauty and
goodliness!" And his back was cloven in sunder, [321] when he saw her;
his thought was confounded and his understanding [322] dazed and
the love of her gat hold upon his whole heart; so he turned back and
returning home, went in to his mother, like one distraught. She bespoke
him and he answered her neither yea nor nay; then she brought him the
morning-meal, as he abode on this wise, and said to him, "O my son, what
hath betided thee? Doth there ail thee aught? Tell me what hath befallen
thee, for that, against thy wont, I bespeak thee and thou answerest me
not."

Now Alaeddin had been used to think that women were all like his mother
and he had heard of the beauty of the Lady Bedrulbudour, daughter of the
Sultan, but had not known what beauty and grace were; so he turned to
his mother and said to her, "Leave me;" but she was instant with him
to come and eat. Accordingly, he came forward and ate a little; then,
rising, he threw himself on his bed and lay musing till break of morn;
and on this wise he abode all next day. His mother was perplexed at his
case, unknowing what had befallen him, and bethought herself that belike
he was sick; so she came up to him and questioned him, saying, "O my
son, an thou feel aught of pain or otherwhat, tell me, that I may go
fetch thee a physician, more by token there is presently in the city a
physician from the land of the Arabs, whom the Sultan hath sent to bring
hither, and report saith of him that he is exc