Thou that forbidst my passion the sweets of happy love， Art thou then safe from fortune， that shifts and changes aye？
Art thou not glad and easeful and blest with happy life， Whilst I， for thee， an exile from folk and country stray？
Then he folded the letter and gave it to Taj el Mulouk， who read the verses and was pleased with them. So he handed the letter to the old woman， who took it and carried it to the princess. When she read it， she was greatly enraged and said， "All that has befallen me comes from this pernicious old woman！" Then she cried out to the damsels and eunuchs， saying， "Seize this accursed old trickstress and beat her with your slippers！" So they beat her till she swooned away； and when she revived， the princess said to her， "By Allah， O wicked old woman， did I not fear God the Most High， I would kill thee！" Then she bade them beat her again， and they did so， till she fainted a second time， whereupon the princess ordered them to drag her forth and throw her without the palace. So they dragged her along on her face and threw her down before the gate. When she came to herself， she rose and made the best of her way home， walking and resting by turns. She passed the night in her own house and in the morning， she went to Taj el Mulouk and told him what had passed， at which he was distressed and said， "O my mother， this that has befallen thee is grievous to us； but all things are according to fate and destiny." "Take comfort and be of good cheer，" replied she； "for I will not give over striving， till I have brought thee and her together and made thee to enjoy the vile baggage who hath tortured me with beating." Quoth the prince， "Tell me the reason of her aversion to men." "It arose from what she saw in a dream，" answered the old woman. "And what was this dream？" asked the prince. "One night，" replied she， "as she lay asleep， she saw a fowler spread his net upon the ground and scatter grain round it. Then he sat down hard by， and all the birds in the neighbourhood flocked to the net. Amongst the rest she saw a pair of pigeons， male and female； and whilst she was watching the net， the male bird"s foot caught in it and he began to struggle， whereupon all the other birds took fright and flew away. But presently his mate came back and hovered over him， then alighted on the net， unobserved by the fowler， and fell to picking and pulling at the mesh in which the male bird"s foot was entangled with her beak， till she released him and they flew away together. Then the fowler came up and mended his net and seated himself afar off. After awhile， the birds came back and the female pigeon was caught in the net，whereupon all the other birds took fright and flew away； and the male pigeon flew away with the rest and did not return to his mate. Then came the fowler and took the female pigeon and killed her. So the princess awoke， troubled by her dream， and said， "All males are worthless， like this pigeon： and men in general are wanting in goodness to women."" When the old woman had made an end of her story， the prince said to her， "O my mother， I desire to have one look at her， though it be my death； so do thou contrive me some means of seeing her." "Know then，" answered she，"that she hath under her palace windows a pleasure-garden， to which she resorts once in every month by the private door. In ten days， the time of her thus going forth will arrive； so when she is about to visit the garden， I will come and tell thee， that thou mayst go thither and meet her. And look thou quit not the garden， for haply， if she sees thy beauty and grace， her heart will be taken with love of thee， and love is the most potent means of union." "I hear and obey，" replied Taj el Mulouk. Then he and Aziz left the shop， and taking the old woman with them，showed her where they lodged. Then said the prince to Aziz， "I have no further need of the shop， having fulfilled my purpose of it； so I give it to thee with all that is in it； for that thou hast come abroad with me and hast left thy country for my sake."
Aziz accepted his gift and they sat conversing awhile， the prince questioning the young merchant of the strange passages of his life and the latter acquainting him with the particulars thereof.
Presently， they went to the Vizier and acquainting him with Taj el Mulouk"s purpose， asked him what they should do. "Let us go to the garden，" answered he. So they donned their richest clothes and went forth， followed by three white slaves， to the garden，which they found thick with trees and abounding in rills. At the gate， they saw the keeper sitting； so they saluted him and he returned their salute. Then the Vizier gave him a hundred dinars，saying， "Prithee， take this spending-money and fetch us something to eat； for we are strangers and I have with me these two lads，whom I wish to divert." The gardener took the money and said to them， "Enter and take your pleasure in the garden， for it is all yours； and sit down till I bring you what you require." So he went to the market， and the Vizier and his companions entered the garden. In a little while， the gardener returned with a roasted lamb and bread as white as cotton， which he placed before them，and they ate and drank； after which he set on sweetmeats， and they ate of them， then washed their hands and sat talking.
Presently the Vizier said to the gardener， "Tell me about this garden： is it thine or dost thou rent it？" "It does not belong to me，" replied he， "but to the Princess Dunya， the King"s daughter." "What is thy wage？" asked the Vizier， and the gardener answered， "One dinar every month and no more." Then the Vizier looked round about the garden and seeing in its midst a pavilion，lofty but old and dilapidated， said to the keeper， "O elder， I am minded to do here a good work， by which thou shalt remember me."
