rsians
and Turks and Medes, 'Whoso has might in him let him come to us!'" Then
she made a spring and landed on the other side of the stream and said to
Sherkan laughing, "It goes to my heart to part with thee! get thee to
thy friends, O my lord, before the morning, lest the knights come upon
thee and take thee on the points of their lances. Thou hast not strength
enough to defend thee against women; so how couldst thou make head
against men and cavaliers!" And she turned to go back to the monastery.
Sherkan was confounded, and called out to her, saying "O my lady! Wilt
thou go away, and leave the wretched stranger, the broken-hearted slave
of love?" So she turned to him laughing, and said, "What wouldst thou? I
grant thy prayer." "Have I set foot in thy country and tasted the
sweetness of thy favors," replied Sherkan, "and shall I return without
eating of thy victual and tasting of thy hospitality? Indeed, I am
become one of thy servitors." Quoth she, "None but the base refuses
hospitality: on my head and eyes be it! Do me the favor to mount and
ride along the stream, abreast of me, for thou art my guest." At this
Sherkan rejoiced, and hastening back to his horse, mounted and rode
along the river-bank, keeping abreast of her, till he came to a
drawbridge that hung by pulleys and chains of steel, made fast with
hooks and padlocks. Here stood the ten damsels awaiting the lady, who
spoke to one of them in the Greek tongue and said to her, "Go to him;
take his horse's rein and bring him over into the monastery."... They
went on till they reached a vaulted gate, arched over with marble. This
she opened, and entered with Sherkan into a long vestibule, vaulted with
ten arches, from each of which hung a lamp of crystal, shining like the
rays of the sun. The damsels met her at the end of the vestibule,
bearing perfumed flambeaux and having on their heads kerchiefs
embroidered with all manner of jewels, and went on before her, till they
came to the inward of the monastery, where Sherkan saw couches set up
all around, facing one another and overhung with curtains spangled with
gold. The floor was paved with all kinds of variegated marbles, and in
the midst was a basin of water with four and twenty spouts of gold
around it from which issued water like liquid silver; whilst at the
upper end stood a throne covered with silks of royal purple. Then said
the damsel, "O my lord, mount this throne." So he seated himself on it,
and she with