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of the young lady and her grace and goodliness; and he fell to lamenting and saying, “Alas for the loss of my delights that were because of thee, O pearl of beauty and loveliness, thou whom I took from thy parents and presented to the King of the Jinn! Alack, the pity of it!” And[1] he chid himself for the deceit and the perfidy which he had practised upon the young lady’s parents and how he had brought her to the King of the Jinn.
Then he set out and gave not over journeying till he came to Bassora and entering his palace, saluted his mother and told her all that had befallen him; whereupon quoth she to him, “Arise, O my son, so thou mayst[2] see this ninth image, for that I am exceeding rejoiced at its presence with us.” So they both descended into the underground hall, wherein were the eight images, and found there a great marvel; to wit, instead of the ninth image, they beheld the young lady, resembling the sun in her loveliness. The prince knew her, when he saw her, and she said to him, “Marvel not to find me here in place of that which
