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with them to his own country, but will aid him thereto If she be not his wife, I will slay him; but if the children resemble him, we will believe him. For, O my mother, if my thought tell me true, my sister Menar es Sena is his wife, seeing that these traits are her traits and the attributes of surpassing beauty and excelling grace, of which he spoke, are found in none except my sisters and especially the youngest; but God alone is All-knowing!’
The old woman put faith in her words, knowing not what she purposed in herself; so she kissed her hand and returning to Hassan, told him what the queen had said, whereat he was transported for joy and coming up to her, kissed her head. ‘O my son,’ said she, ‘kiss not my head, but my mouth, and be it by way of guerdon for thy salvation. Be of good heart and cheerful eye and grudge not to kiss my mouth, for I was the means of thy foregathering with her. So take comfort and be of good cheer nor be thy heart other than light, for, God willing, thy desire shall be accomplished at my hand.’ So saying, she bade him farewell and departed, whilst he recited the following verses:
My witnesses unto the love of thee are four; Two witnesses each case requireth, and no more.
A fluttering heart they are and limbs for aye a-quake, Tongue knotted in its speech and body wasted sore.
And these also:
Two things there are, whereover if eyes wept tear on tear Of blood, till they for weeping were like to disappear,
They never could fulfil them the tithe of all their due, The prime of youth and sev’rance from friends and lovers dear.
Then the old woman armed herself and taking with her a thousand armed horsemen, set out and journeyed till she came to the island and the city where dwelt the princess Menar es Sena and between which and that of her sister
