When I read these verses， I wept sore and buffeted my face； then I unfolded the scroll， and there fell from it another. I opened it and found these words written therein： "Know， O my cousin，that I acquit thee of my blood and I beseech God to make accord between thee and her whom thou lovest： but if aught befall thee through the daughter of Delileh the crafty， return thou not to her neither resort to any other woman and bear thine affliction patiently， for were not the ordained term of thy life a long one，thou hadst perished long ago： but praised be God， who hath appointed my last day before thine！ My peace be upon thee；
preserve the cloth with the gazelles figured thereon and let it not leave thee， for it used to keep me company， whenas thou wert absent from me； but I conjure thee， by Allah， if thou chance to fall in with her who wrought these gazelles and it be in thy power to foregather with her， hold aloof from her and do not let her approach thee nor marry her； and if thou happen not on her and find no way to her， look thou company not with any other of her ***. Know that she who wrought these gazelles is the daughter of the King of the Camphor Islands and every year she works a like cloth and despatches it to far countries， that her report and the beauty of her broidery， which none in the world can match， may be bruited abroad， As for thy beloved， the daughter of Delileh， this cloth came to her hand， and she used to ensnare folk with it， showing it to them and saying， "I have a sister who wrought this." But she lied in this saying， may God bring her to shame！ This， then， is my parting counsel to thee， and I have not charged thee thus， but because I know that， after my death， the world will be straitened on thee and belike， by reason of this，thou wilt leave thy native land and wander in foreign countries，and hearing of her who wrought these figures， be minded to foregather with her. Then wilt thou remember me and it shall not avail thee nor wilt thou know my value till after my death."
When I had read the scroll and understood what was written therein， I fell again to weeping， and my mother wept because I did； and I ceased not to gaze upon it and weep till nightfall. I abode thus a whole year， at the end of which time the merchants，with whom I am in this caravan， prepared to set out from my native town， and my mother counselled me to equip myself and journey with them， so haply I might find forgetfulness and my sorrow cease from me， saying， "Take comfort and put away from thee this mourning and travel for a year or two or three， till the caravan returns， when peradventure thy breast may be dilated and thy heart lightened." She ceased not to persuade me thus，till I provided myself with merchandise and set out with the caravan. But all the time of my journey， my tears have never ceased flowing； and at every station where we halt， I open this piece of linen and look on these gazelles and call to mind my cousin Azizeh and weep for her as thou hast seen， for indeed she loved me very dearly and died， oppressed and rejected of me； I did her nought but ill and she did me nought but good. When these merchants return from their journey， I shall return with them， by which time I shall have been a whole year absent； yet is my sorrow greater than ever and my grief and affliction were but increased by my visit to the Islands of Camphor and the Castle of Crystal. The islands in question are seven in number and are ruled by a king， Shehriman by name， who hath a daughter called Dunya； and I was told that it was she who wrought these gazelles and that this thou seest was of her broidery. When I knew this，yearning redoubled on me and I became a prey to consuming languor and drowned in the sea of melancholy thought； and I wept over myself， for that I was become even as a woman， without manly gear like other men， and that there was no recourse for me. From the day of my departure from the Camphor Islands， I have been tearful-eyed and sorrowful-hearted， and I know not whether it will be given me to return to my native land and die by my mother or not， for I am weary of the world."
When the young merchant had made an end of telling his story， he wept and groaned and complained and gazed upon the figures wrought on the piece of linen， whilst the tears streamed down his cheeks and he repeated the following verses：
"Needs must thy sorrow have an end，" quoth many an one "and cease And I， Needs must your chiding end and let me be at peace."
"After awhile，" say they； and I， "Who will ensure me life， O fools， until the hands of grief their grip of me release？"
And also these：
God knows that， since my severance from thee， full sore I"ve wept， So sore that needs my eyes must run for very tears in debt！
"Have patience，" quoth my censurers， "and thou shalt win them yet." And I， "O thou that blamest me， whence should I patience get？"
Then said he， "This， O prince， is my story： hast thou ever heard a stranger one？" Taj el Mulouk marvelled greatly at the young merchant"s tale and said to him， "By Allah， thou hast suffered that which never befell any but thyself， but thou hast life appointed to thee， which thou must needs fulfil； and now I would fain have thee tell me how thou sawest the lady who wrought these gazelles." "O my lord，" answered Aziz， "I got me access to her by a stratagem， and it was this. When I entered her city with the caravan， I went forth and wandered about the gardens [till I came to one walled in and] abounding in trees， whose keeper was a venerable old man of advanced age. I asked him to whom the garden belonged， and he replied， "To the lady Dunya， the king"s daughter. We are now beneath her palace，" added he； "and when she is minded to divert herself， she opens the private door and walks in the garden and breathes the fragrance of the flowers." So I said to him， "Favour me by allowing me to sit in the garden till she comes； haply I may be fortunate enough to catch a sight of her as she passes." "There can be no harm in that，" answered he.
So I gave him money and said to him， "Buy us something to eat."
