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As they paſs’d by the Ruins of a Houſe, the Lady ſigninified a Deſire to alight on ſome Occaſion. The Prince ſtopp’d, and ſuffered her to alight; then he alighted himſelf, and went near the Ruins with his Horſe in his Hand : But you may judge how much he was ſurpriz’d, when he heard the Lady within it, ſay theſe Words: Be glad, my Children, I bring you a handſome young Man, and very fat; and other Voices, which anſwer’d immediately, Mamma, is he, that we may eat him preſently, for we are very hungry.
The Prince heard enough to convince him of his Danger, and then he perceiv’d that the Lady, who call’d herſelf Daughter to an Indian King, was a Hogreſs, Wife to one of thoſe Savage Demons, call’d Hogres, who ſtay in remote Places, and make uſe of a thouſand Wiles to ſurprize and devour Paſſengers; fo that the Prince being thus frighten’d, mounted his Horſe as ſoon as he could.
The pretended Princeſs appear’d that very Moment, and perceiving ſhe had miſſed her Prey, ſhe cries, Fear nothing, Prince: Who are you? whom do you ſeek? I have loſt my way, replies he, and am ſeeking it. If you have loſt your way, ſays ſhe, recommend your ſelf to God, he will deliver you out of your Perplexity. Then the Prince lift up his Eyes towards Heaven.But, Sir, fays Scheherazade, I am oblig’d to break off, for Day appears.
I long mightily, ſays Dinarzade, to know what became of that young Prince, I tremble for him, I will deliver you from your Uneafineſs to morrow, anſwers the Sultaneſs, if the Sultan will allow me to live till then. Schahriar, willing to hear an end of this Adventure, prolonged Scheherazade’s Life for another Day.
The Sixteenth Night.
eat
