utterfly what he
ought to have done long ago for his own sake, and the quarrelsome Queens
will be frightened!'

The the butterfly stamped. The Djinns jerked the Palace and the gardens
a thousand miles into the air: there was a most awful thunder-clap, and
everything grew inky-black. The Butterfly's Wife fluttered about in the
dark, crying, 'Oh, I'll be good! I'm so sorry I spoke. Only bring the
gardens back, my dear darling husband, and I'll never contradict again.'

The Butterfly was nearly as frightened as his wife, and
Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed so much that it was several minutes before
he found breath enough to whisper to the Butterfly, 'Stamp again, little
brother. Give me back my Palace, most great magician.'

'Yes, give him back his Palace,' said the Butterfly's Wife, still flying
about in the dark like a moth. 'Give him back his Palace, and don't
let's have any more horrid.magic.'

'Well, my dear,' said the Butterfly as bravely as he could, 'you see
what your nagging has led to. Of course it doesn't make any difference
to me--I'm used to this kind of thing--but as a favour to you and to
Suleiman-bin-Daoud I don't mind putting things right.'

So he stamped once more, and that instant the Djinns let down the Palace
and the gardens, without even a bump. The sun shone on the dark-green
orange leaves; the fountains played among the pink Egyptian lilies; the
birds went on singing, and the Butterfly's Wife lay on her side under
the camphor-tree waggling her wings and panting, 'Oh, I'll be good! I'll
be good!'

Suleiman-bin-Daolld could hardly speak for laughing. He leaned back all
weak and hiccoughy, and shook his finger at the Butterfly and said, 'O
great wizard, what is the sense of returning to me my Palace if at the
same time you slay me with mirth!'

Then came a terrible noise, for all the nine hundred and ninety-nine
Queens ran out of the Palace shrieking and shouting and calling for
their babies. They hurried down the great marble steps below the
fountain, one hundred abreast, and the Most Wise Balkis went statelily
forward to meet them and said, 'What is your trouble, O Queens?'

They stood on the marble steps one hundred abreast and shouted, 'What is
our trouble? We were living peacefully in our golden palace, as is our
custom, when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared, and we were left
sitting in a thick and noisome darkness; and it thundered, and Djinns
and Afrits moved about in the darkness! That