Virgins that， with their swimming gait， The hearts of all that see ensnare；
Along whose necks， like trails of grapes， Stream down the tresses of their hair：
Proudly they walk， with eyes that dart The shafts and arrows of despair，And all the champions of the world Are slain by their seductive air.
Sherkan looked at the ten girls and saw in their midst a lady like the moon at its full， with ringleted hair and shining forehead， great black eyes and curling brow-locks， perfect in person and attributes， as says the poet：
Her beauty beamed on me with glances wonder-bright： The slender Syrian spears are not so straight and slight：
She laid her veil aside， and lo， her cheeks rose-red！ All manner lovelyness was in their sweetest sight.
The locks， that o"er her brow fell down， were like the night，From out of which there shines a morning of delight.
Then Sherkan heard her say to the girls， "Come on， that I may wrestle with you， ere the moon set and the dawn come." So they came up to her， one after another， and she overthrew them， one by one， and bound their hands behind them with their girdles. When she had thrown them all， there turned to her an old woman， who was before her， and said， as if she were wroth with her， "O wanton， dost thou glory in overthrowing these girls？ Behold， I am an old woman， yet have I thrown them forty times！ So what hast thou to boast of？ But if thou have strength to wrestle with me，stand up that I may grip thee and put thy head between thy feet."
The young lady smiled at her words， although her heart was full of anger against her， and said， "O my lady Dhat ed Dewahi， wilt indeed wrestle with me， or dost thou jest with me？" "Imean to wrestle with thee in very deed，" replied she. "Stand up to me then，" said the damsel， "if thou have strength to do so." When the old woman heard this， she was sore enraged and the hair of her body stood on end， like that of a hedge-hog. Then she sprang up， whilst the damsel confronted her， and said， "By the virtue of the Messiah， I will not wrestle with thee， except I be naked." "O baggage！" So she loosed her trousers and putting her hand under her clothes， tore them off her body； then， taking a handkerchief of silk， she bound it about her middle and became as she were a bald Afriteh or a pied snake. Then she turned to the young lady and said to her， "Do as I have done." All this time， Sherkan was watching them and laughing at the loathly favour of the old woman. So the damsel took a sash of Yemen stuff and doubled it about her waist， then tucked up her trousers and showed legs of alabaster and above them a hummock of crystal， soft and swelling，and a belly that exhaled musk from its dimples， as it were a bed of blood-red anemones， and breasts like double pomegranates. Then the old woman bent to her and they took hold of one another，whilst Sherkan raised his eyes to heaven and prayed to God that the damsel might conquer the old hag. Presently， the former bored in under the latter， and gripping her by the breech with the left hand and by the gullet with the right， hoisted her off the ground； whereupon the old woman strove to free herself and in the struggle wriggled out of the girl"s hands and fell on her back.
Up went her legs and showed her hairy tout in the moonlight， and she let fly two great cracks of wind， one of which smote the earth， whilst the other smoked up to the skies. At this Sherkan laughed， till he fell to the ground， and said， "He lied not who dubbed thee Lady of Calamities！[FN#7] Verily， thou sawest her prowess against the others." Then he arose and looked right and left， but saw none save the old woman thrown down on her back. So he drew near to hear what should pass between them； and behold，the young lady came up to the old one and throwing over her a veil of fine silk， helped her to dress herself， ****** excuses to her and saying， "O my lady Dhat ed Dewahi， I did not mean to throw thee so roughly， but thou wriggledst out of my hands； so praised be God for safety！" She returned her no answer， but rose in her confusion and walked away out of sight， leaving the young lady standing alone， by the other girls thrown down and bound.
Then said Sherkan to himself， "To every fortune there is a cause.
Sleep fell not on me nor did the steed bear me hither but for my good fortune； for of a surety this damsel and what is with her shall be my prize." So he turned back and mounted and drew his scimitar； then he gave his horse the spur and he started off with him， like an arrow from a bow， whilst he brandished his naked blade and cried out， "God is Most Great！" When the damsel saw him， she sprang to her feet and running to the bank of the river，which was there six cubits wide， made a spring and landed on the other side， where she turned and standing， cried out in a loud voice， "Who art thou， sirrah， that breakest in on our pastime，and that with thy whinger bared， as thou wert charging an army？
Whence comest thou and whither art thou bound？ Speak the truth，and it shall profit thee， and do not lie， for lying is of the loser"s fashion. Doubtless thou hast strayed this night from thy road， that thou hast happened on this place. So tell me what thou seekest： if thou wouldst have us set thee in the right road， we will do so， or if thou seek help， we will help thee." When Sherkan heard her words， he replied， "I am a stranger of the Muslims， who am come out by myself in quest of booty， and I have found no fairer purchase this moonlit night than these ten damsels； so I will take them and rejoin my comrades with them."
Quoth she， "I would have thee to know that thou hast not yet come at the booty： and as for these ten damsels， by Allah， they are no purchase for thee！ Indeed， the fairest purchase thou canst look for is to win free of this place； for thou art now in a mead，where， if we gave one cry， there would be with us anon four thousand knights. Did I not tell thee that lying is shameful？"
