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slave-girls laid the table and the Lady Bedrulbudour sat down and sought of the accursed sorcerer that he should eat with her; but he refused and rising, entered the pavilion which she had given him, whither the slave-girls carried him the morning-meal.
When it was eventide and Alaeddin returned from the chase, the Lady Bedrulbudour met him and saluted him: whereupon he embraced her and kissed her and looking in her face, saw that she was somewhat troubled and smiled not, against her wont. So he said to her, “What aileth thee, O my beloved? Tell me, hath there befallen thee aught to trouble thee?” And she answered him, saying, “There aileth me nothing; but, O my beloved, I had thought that our palace[1] lacked of nought; however, O my eyes[2] Alaeddin, were there hung in the dome of the upper pavilion[3] an egg of the bird Roc, there were not its like in the world.” “And wast thou concerned anent this?” rejoined Alaeddin. “This is to me the easiest of all things; so be easy, for it is enough that thou tell me of that which thou wishest and I will fetch it thee from the abysses of the world on the speediest wise.” Then[4] after he had com-
