you to
seize me." "What nonsense," said Majnun. "I believe he is a very good
Raja. Anyhow, I am so near to him that I could not get away." "Well,"
said Laili, "it is better that you should be killed than I, for if I
were to be killed a second time, God would not give me my life again;
but I can bring you to life if you are killed." Now Chumman Basa had
come quite near, and seemed very pleasant, so thought Prince Majnun;
but when he was speaking to Majnun, he drew his scimitar and cut off
the prince's head at one blow.

Laili sat quite still on her horse, and as the Raja came towards her
she said, "Why did you kill my husband?" "Because I want to take you,"
he answered. "You cannot," said Laili. "Yes, I can," said the Raja.
"Take me, then," said Laili to Chumman Basa; so he came quite close
and put out his hand to take hers to lift her off her horse. But she
put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a tiny knife, only as long
as her hand was broad, and this knife unfolded itself in one instant
till it was such a length! and then Laili made a great sweep with her
arm and her long, long knife, and off came Chumman Basa's head at one
touch.

Then Laili slipped down off her horse, and she went to Majnun's dead
body, and she cut her little finger inside her hand straight down from
the top of her nail to her palm, and out of this gushed blood like
healing medicine. Then she put Majnun's head on his shoulders, and
smeared her healing blood all over the wound, and Majnun woke up and
said, "What a delightful sleep I have had! Why, I feel as if I had
slept for years!" Then he got up and saw the Raja's dead body by
Laili's horse. "What's that?" said Majnun. "That is the wicked Raja
who killed you to seize me, just as I said he would." "Who killed
him?" asked Majnun. "I did," answered Laili, "and it was I who brought
you to life." "Do bring the poor man to life if you know how to do
so," said Majnun. "No," said Laili, "for he is a wicked man, and will
try to do you harm." But Majnun asked her for such a long time, and so
earnestly to bring the wicked Raja to life, that at last she said,
"Jump up on the horse, then, and go far away with the groom." "What
will you do," said Majnun, "if I leave you? I cannot leave you." "I
will take care of myself," said Laili; "but this man is so wicked, he
may kill you again if you are near him." So Majnun got up on the
horse, and he and the groom went a long way off and waited for Laili.
Then she