they then broke open the door from its
hinges, and saw the bridegroom with his head severed from his [body],
and [his limbs] still quivering; and the bride foamed at the mouth,
and rolled senseless in the dust mingled with [her husband's] blood.

"On seeing this horrible sight, the senses of all present forsook them;
that such grief should succeed such felicity! The dreadful intelligence
was conveyed to the king; he flew [to the spot], beating his head; all
the officers of state were soon assembled there, but no one's judgment
was of any use in ascertaining the [cause of] this [mysterious] affair;
at length the king, in his distracted state, ordered the ill-fated,
luckless bride's head to be cut off likewise. The moment this order
was issued from the king's lips, the same clamour arose; the king was
alarmed, and from fear of his life, he ran off, and ordered the bride
to be turned out of the palace. The female attendants conveyed this
[unfortunate] girl to my house. The account of this strange event soon
spread over the whole kingdom, and whoever heard it was amazed; and
owing to the prince's murder, the king himself and all the inhabitants
of the city became bitter enemies of my life.

"When the public mourning was over, and the fortieth day completed,
the king asked counsel of the officers of state, saying, 'What is next
to be done?' They all said, 'Nothing else can be done; but in order to
console your majesty's mind, and inspire it with patience, to put the
girl and her father to death, and confiscate their property.' When
this punishment of me and mine was determined on, the magistrate
received orders [to put it in execution]; he came and surrounded my
house [with guards] on all sides and sounded a trumpet at the gate,
and was about to enter in order to execute the king's orders. From
some hidden quarter, such showers of stones and bricks were poured
on them that the whole band could not stand against it, and covering
their faces, they were dispersed hither and thither; and these dreadful
sounds issued, which even the king himself heard in his palace; 'What
misfortune impels thee! what demon possesses thee! if thou desirest
thy welfare, molest not that fair one, or else the fate that thy son
met with by marrying her, thou shalt experience the like doom by being
her foe; if thou now molestest her, thou wilt rue its consequences.'

"The king fell into a fever through fear, and instantly ordered that
'No one should