So he passed on into the vestibule， whilst the eunuch was silent and said nothing. Then the prince counted five doors and entered the sixth， where he found the Princess Dunya standing awaiting him. As soon as she saw him， she knew him and pressed him to her bosom， and he returned her embrace. Then the old woman came in to them， having made a pretext to dismiss the princess"s attendants for fear of discovery， and the princess said to her， "Do thou keep the door." So she and Taj el Mulouk abode alone together and passed the night in kissing and embracing and twining leg with leg. When the day drew near， she left him and shutting the door upon him， passed in to another apartment， where she sat down according to her wont， whilst her women came in to her， and she attended to their affairs and conversed with them awhile. Then she said to them， "Leave me now， for I wish to be alone." So they withdrew and she betook herself to Taj el Mulouk， and the old woman brought them food， of which they ate and after fell again to amorous dalliance， till the dawn. Then the princess left him，and locked the door as before； and they ceased not to do thus for a whole month.
Meanwhile， the Vizier and Aziz， when they found that the prince did not return from the princess"s palace all this while， gave him up for lost and Aziz said to the Vizier， "O my father， what shall we do？" "O my son，" answered he， "this is a difficult matter， and except we return to his father and tell him， he will blame us." So they made ready at once and setting out， journeyed night and day along the valleys， in the direction of the Green Country， till they reached King Suleiman"s capital and presenting themselves before him， acquainted him with what had befallen his son and how they had heard no news of him， since he entered the princess"s palace. At this the King was greatly troubled and regret was sore upon him， and he let call a holy war throughout his realm. Then he encamped without the town with his troops and took up his abode in his pavilion， whilst the levies came from all parts of the kingdom； for his subjects loved him by reason of his much justice and beneficence. As soon as his forces were assembled， he took horse， with an army covering the country as far as the eye could reach， and departed in quest of his son Taj el Mulouk. Meanwhile， the latter sojourned with the princess half a year"s time， whilst every day they redoubled in mutual affection and distraction and passion and love-longing and desire so pressed upon Taj el Mulouk， that at last he opened his mind to the princess and said to her， "Know， O beloved of my heart and entrails， that the longer I abide with thee， the more longing and passion and desire increase on me， for that I have not yet fulfilled the whole of my desire." "What then wouldst thou have，O light of my eyes and fruit of my entrails？" asked she. "If thou desire aught beside kissing and embracing and entwining of legs，do what pleases thee； for， by Allah， none hath any part in us."
"It is not that I desire，" rejoined he； "but I would fain acquaint thee with my true history. I am no merchant， but a King，the son of a King， and my father is the supreme King Suleiman Shah， who sent his Vizier ambassador to thy father， to demand thy hand for me in marriage， but thou wouldst not consent." Then he told her his story from first to last， nor is there any profit in repeating it， and added， "And now I wish to return to my father，that he may send an ambassador to thy father， to demand thy hand for me， so we may be at ease." When she heard this， she rejoiced greatly， because it fell in with her own wishes， and they passed the night on this understanding. But by the decree of Fate， it befell that sleep overcame them that night above all nights and they slept till the sun had risen. Now at this hour， King Shehriman was sitting on his chair of estate， with his amirs and grandees before him， when the chief of the goldsmiths presented himself before him carrying a large box， which he opened and brought out therefrom a small casket worth a hundred thousand dinars， for that which was therein of rubies and emeralds and other jewels， beyond the competence of any King. When the King saw this， he marveled at its beauty and turning to the chief eunuch （him with whom the old woman had had to do， as before related）， said to him， "O Kafour， take this casket to the Princess Dunya." The eunuch took the casket and repairing to the princess"s apartment， found the door shut and the old woman lying asleep on the threshold； whereupon said he， "Asleep at this hour？" His voice aroused the old woman， who was terrified and said to him， "Wait till I fetch the key." Then she went out and fled for her life； but the eunuch， having his suspicions of her，lifted the door off its hinges and entering， found the princess and Taj el Mulouk lying asleep in each other"s arms. At this sight he was confounded and was about to return to the King， when the princess awoke， and seeing him， was terrified and changed colour and said to him， "O Kafour， veil thou what God hath veiled." But he replied， "I cannot conceal aught from the King；"
and locking the door on them， returned to Shehriman， who said to him， "Hast thou given the casket to the princess？" "Here is the casket，" answered the eunuch. "Take it， for I cannot conceal aught from thee. Know that I found a handsome young man in the princess"s arms， and they asleep in one bed." The King commanded them to be fetched and said to them， "What manner of thing is this！" and being violently enraged， seized a dagger and was about to strike Taj el Mulouk with it， when the princess threw herself upon him and said to her father， "Slay me before him." The King reviled her and commanded her to be taken back to her chamber：
then he turned to Taj el Mulouk and said to him， "Woe to thee！
