Then he lost his senses； and when he revived， he abode in amazement， but did not discover himself to her and said to her，"O my lady， art thou indeed the daughter of King Omar ben Ennuman？" "Yes，" replied she； and he said， "Tell me how thou camest to leave thy father and be sold for a slave." So she told him all that had befallen her， from first to last， how she had left her brother sick in Jerusalem and how the Bedouin had lured her away and sold her to the merchant. When Sherkan heard this all was certified that she was indeed his sister， he said to himself， "How can I have my sister to wife？ By Allah， I must marry her to one of my chamberlains； and if the thing get wind， I will avouch that I divorced her before consummation and married her to my chief chamberlain." Then he raised his head and said，"O Nuzhet ez Zeman， thou art my very sister； for I am Sherkan，son of King Omar ben Ennuman， and may God forgive us the sin into which we have fallen！" She looked at him and seeing that he spoke the truth， became as one bereft of reason and wept and buffeted her face， exclaiming， "There is no power and no virtue but in God！ Verily we have fallen into grievous sin！ What shall I do and what answer shall I make my father and my mother， when they say to me， "Whence hadst thou thy daughter"？" Quoth Sherkan， "I purpose to marry thee to my chief chamberlain and let thee bring up my daughter in his house， that none may know thee to be my sister. This that hath befallen us was ordained of God for a purpose of His own， and there is no way to cover ourselves but by thy marriage with the chamberlain， ere any know." Then he fell to comforting her and kissing her head， and she said to him， "What wilt thou call the child？" "Call her Kuzia Fekan，"[FN#61] replied he. Then he gave her in marriage to the chief chamberlain， and they reared the child in his house， on the laps of the slave-girls， till， one day， there came to King Sherkan a courier from his father， with a letter to the following purport， "In the name of God， etc. Know， O puissant King， that I am sore afflicted for the loss of my children： sleep fails me and wakefulness is ever present with me. I send thee this letter that thou mayst make ready the tribute of Syria and send it to us， together with the damsel whom thou hast bought and taken to wife； for I long to see her and hear her discourse； because there has come to us from the land of the Greeks a devout old woman， with five damsels，high-bosomed maids， endowed with knowledge and accomplishments and all fashions of learning that befit mortals； and indeed the tongue fails to describe this old woman and her companions. As soon as I saw the damsels， I loved them and wished to have them in my palace and at my commandment， for none of the kings possesses the like of them； so I asked the old woman their price，and she replied， "I will not sell them but for the tribute of Damascus." And by Allah， this is but little for them， for each one of them is worth the whole price. So I agreed to this and took them into my palace， and they remain in my possession.
Wherefore do thou expedite the tribute to us， that the old woman may return to her own country； and send us the damsel， that she may strive with them before the doctors； and if she overcome them， I will send her back to thee with the year"s revenue of Baghdad." When Sherkan read this letter， he went in to his brother-in-law and said to him， "Call the damsel to whom I married thee." So she came， and he showed her the letter and said to her， "O my sister， what answer wouldst thou have me make to this letter？" "It is for thee to judge，" replied she. Then she recalled her people and her native land and yearned after them；
so she said to him， "Send me and my husband the Chamberlain to Baghdad， that I may tell my father how the Bedouin seized me and sold me to the merchant， and how thou boughtest me of him and gavest me in marriage to the Chamberlain， after setting me free."
"Be it so，" replied Sherkan. Then he made ready the tribute in haste and gave it to the Chamberlain， bidding him make ready for Baghdad， and furnished him with camels and mules and two travelling litters， one for himself and the other for the princess. Moreover， he wrote a letter to his father and committed it to the Chamberlain. Then he took leave of his sister， after he had taken the jewel from her and hung it round his daughter"s neck by a chain of fine gold； and she and her husband set out for Baghdad the same night. Now their caravan was the very one to which Zoulmekan and his friend the stoker had joined themselves，as before related， having waited till the Chamberlain passed them， riding on a dromedary， with his footmen around him. Then Zoulmekan mounted the stoker"s ass and said to the latter， "Do thou mount with me." But he said， "Not so： I will be thy servant." Quoth Zoulmekan， "Needs must thou ride awhile." "It is well，" replied the stoker； "I will ride when I grow tired." Then said Zoulmekan， "O my brother， thou shalt see how I will do with thee， when I come to my own people." So they journeyed on till the sun rose， and when it was the hour of the noonday rest， the Chamberlain called a halt， and they alighted and rested and watered their camels. Then he gave the signal for departure and they journeyed for five days， till they came to the city of Hemah， where they made a three days" halt； then set out again and fared on， till they reached the province of Diarbekir. Here there blew on them the breezes of Baghdad， and Zoulmekan bethought him of his father and mother and his native land and how he was returning to his father without his sister： so he wept and sighed and complained， and his regrets increased on him， and he repeated the following verses：
How long wilt thou delay from me， beloved one？ I wait： And yet there comes no messenger with tidings of thy fate.
Alack， the time of love-delight and peace was brief indeed！ Ah，that the days of parting thus would of their length abate！
Take thou my hand and put aside my mantle and thou"lt find My body wasted sore； and yet I hide my sad estate.
