She walked on， weeping and turning right and left， as she went，till there espied her an old man who had come into the town from the desert with other five Bedouins. He took note of her and seeing that she was charming， but had nothing on her head but a piece of camel-cloth， marvelled at her beauty and said in himself， "This girl is pretty enough to dazzle the wit， but it is clear she is in poor case， and whether she be of the people of the city or a stranger， I must have her." So he followed her，little by little， till presently he came in front of her and stopping the way before her in a narrow lane， called out to her，saying， "Harkye， daughterling， art thou a freewoman or a slave？"
When she heard this， she said to him， "By thy life， do not add to my troubles！ "Quoth he， "God blessed me with six daughters， but five of them died and only one is left me， the youngest of them all； and I came to ask thee if thou wert of the people of this city or a stranger， that I might take thee and carry thee to her，to bear her company and divert her from mourning for her sisters，If thou hast no parents， I will use thee as one of them， and thou and she shall be as my two children." When she heard what he said， she bowed her head for bashfulness and said to herself，"Surely I may trust myself to this old man." Then she said to him， "O uncle， I am a girl of the Arabs （of Irak） and a stranger，and I have a sick brother； but I will go with thee to thy daughter on one condition； that is， that I may spend the day only with her and go to my brother at night. I am a stranger and was high in honour among my people， yet am I become cast down and abject. I came with my brother from the land of Hejaz and I fear lest he know not where I am." When the Bedouin heard this， he said to himself， "By Allah， I have gotten what I sought！" Then he turned to her and said， "There shall none be dearer to me than thou； I only wish thee to bear my daughter company by day， and thou shalt go to thy brother at nightfall. Or， if thou wilt，bring him to dwell with us." And he ceased not to give her fair words and coax her， till she trusted in him and agreed to serve him. Then he went on before her and she followed him， whilst he winked to his men to go on in advance and harness the camels and load them with food and water， ready for setting out as soon as he should come up. Now this Bedouin was a base-born wretch， a highway-robber and a brigand， a traitor to his friend and a past master in craft and roguery. He had no daughter and no son， and was but a wayfarer in Jerusalem， when， by the decree of God， he fell in with this unhappy girl. He held her in converse till they came without the city， where he joined his companions and found they had made ready the camels. So he mounted a camel， taking Nuzhet ez Zeman up behind him， and they rode on all night， making for the mountains， for fear any should see them. By this， she knew that the Bedouin"s proposal was a snare and that he had tricked her； and she gave not over weeping and crying out the whole night long. A little before the dawn， they halted and the Bedouin came up to Nuzhet ez Zeman and said to her， "O wretch，what is this weeping！ By Allah， an thou hold not thy peace， I will beat thee to death， city faggot that thou art！" When she heard this， she abhorred life and longed for death； so she turned to him and said， "O accursed old man， O greybeard of hell， did I trust in thee and hast thou played me false， and now thou wouldst torture me？" When he heard her words， he cried out， "O insolent wretch， dost thou dare to bandy words with me？" And he came up to her and beat her with a whip， saying， "An thou hold not thy peace， I will kill thee." So she was silent awhile， but she called to mind her brother and her former happy estate and wept in secret. Next day， she turned to the Bedouin and said to him，"How couldst thou deal thus perfidiously with me and lure me into these desert mountains， and what wilt thou do with me？" When he heard her words， he hardened his heart and said to her， "O pestilent baggage， wilt thou bandy words with me？" So saying， he took the whip and brought it down on her back， till she well-nigh fainted. Then she bowed down and kissed his feet； and he left beating her and began to revile her， saying， "By my bonnet， if I see or hear thee weeping， I will cut out thy tongue and thrust it up thy kaze， city strumpet that thou art！" So she was silent and made him no reply， for the beating irked her； but sat down， with her arms round her knees and bowing her head， fell a-musing on her case. Then she bethought her of her former ease and affluence and her present abasement， and called to mind her brother and his sickness and forlorn condition and how they were both strangers in a foreign land； whereat the tears coursed down her cheeks and she wept silently and repeated the following verses：
The tides of fate "twixt good and ill shift ever to and fro， And no estate of life for men endureth evermo".
All things that to the world belong have each their destined end And to all men a term is set， which none may overgo.
How long must I oppression bear and peril and distress！ Ah， how I loathe this life of mine， that nought but these can show！
May God not prosper them， these days， wherein I am oppressed of Fate， these cruel days that add abjection to my woe！
My purposes are brought to nought， my loves are reft in twain By exile"s rigour， and my hopes are one and all laid low.
O ye， who pass the dwelling by， wherein my dear ones are， Bear them the news of me and say， my tears for ever flow.
When she had finished， the Bedouin came up to her and taking compassion on her， bespoke her kindly and wiped away her tears.
