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from thy wife’s father or any other; wherefore be thou of good cheer and comfort and fear nothing, for no harm shall come to thee.’ When Hassan heard this, he was abashed and gave the cap to Abourruweish, saying to Abdulcuddous, ‘Bear me company to my own land and I will give thee the wand.’ At this the two elders rejoiced exceedingly and made him ready riches and treasures past description.
He abode with them three days, at the end of which time he set out again and the Sheikh Abdulcuddous made ready to depart with him. So he and his wife mounted their beasts and Abdulcuddous whistled, whereupon a great elephant came running up from the heart of the desert and he mounted it. Then they took leave of Abourruweish and fared on across country, whilst Abdulcuddous guided them by a short and easy way, till they drew near the princesses’ country; whereupon Hassan rejoiced and praised God for his safe return and reunion with his wife and children after so many hardships and perils and thanked Him for His favours and bounties, reciting the following verses:
Sure God will soon for us cause union to betide And in your arms locked fast, I shall to you confide
The wonders that have chanced to me and all I’ve felt Of anguish since the day that did our loves divide;
And I shall heal mine eyes with looking on your sight, For long my heart for you with yearning hath been wried.
I’ve hidden you a tale within my heart, that I Will tell you, when we meet: indeed, I shall you chide
For what you wrought of wrong aforetime; but reproach Shall end and pass away and only love abide.
Hardly had he made an end of these verses, when they came in sight of the green pavilion[1] and the pool and the
- ↑ Apparently that wherein he had alighted to rest on his journey with the Magian (see supra, p. 133), although the passage referred to makes no mention of the pool and palace.
