Hardly was the time of afternoon-prayer come， when the tables were spread with roast meats and geese and fowls and all that the heart can desire or that can delight the eye； and all the people ate till they were satisfied. Moreover， the King had sent for all the singing-women of Damascus and they were present， together with all the slave-girls of the King and the notables who knew how to sing. When the evening came and it grew dark， they lighted flambeaux， right and left， from the gate of the citadel to that of the palace， and the amirs and viziers and grandees defiled before King Sherkan， whilst the singers and the tire-women took Nuzhet ez Zeman， to dress and adorn her， but found she needed no adorning. Meantime King Sherkan went to the bath and coming out，sat down on his bed of estate， whilst they unveiled the bride before him in seven different dresses； after which they eased her of the weight of her dresses and ornaments and gave such injunctions as are usually given to girls on their wedding-night.
Then Sherkan went in to her and took her maidenhead； and she at once conceived by him， whereat he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and commanded the sages to record the date of her conception. On the morrow， he went forth and seated himself on his throne， and the grandees came in to him and gave him joy. Then he called his private secretary and bade him write to his father， King Omar ben Ennuman， a letter to the following effect： "Know that I have bought me a damsel， who excels in learning and accomplishment and is mistress of all kinds of knowledge. I have set her free and married her and she has conceived by me. And needs must I send her to Baghdad to visit my brother Zoulmekan and my sister Nuzhet ez Zeman." And he went on to praise her wit and salute his brother and sister， together with the Vizier Dendan and all the amirs. Then he sealed the letter and despatched it to his father by a courier， who was absent a whole month， after which time he returned with the old King"s answer. Sherkan took it and read as follows， after the usual preamble， "In the name of God，" etc.，"This is from the afflicted and distraught， him who hath lost his children and is （as it were） an exile from his native land， King Omar ben Ennuman， to his son Sherkan. Know that， since thy departure from me， the place is become contracted upon me， so that I can no longer have patience nor keep my secret： and the reason of this is as follows. It chanced that Zoulmekan sought my leave to go on the pilgrimage， but I， fearing for him the shifts of fortune， forbade him therefrom until the next year or the year after. Soon after this， I went out to hunt and was absent a whole month. When I returned， I found that thy brother and sister had taken somewhat of money and set out by stealth with the caravan of pilgrims. When I knew this， the wide world became strait on me， O my son； but I awaited the return of the caravan， hoping that they would return with it. Accordingly， when the caravan came back， I questioned the pilgrims of them， but they could give me no news of them； so I put on mourning apparel for them， being heavy at heart and sleepless and drowned in the tears of my eyes." Then followed these verses：
Their image is never absent a breathing-while from my breast， I have made it within my bosom the place of the honoured guest，But that I look for their coming， I would not live for an hour，And but that I see them in dreams， I ne"er should lie down to rest.
The letter went on （after the usual salutations to Sherkan and those of his court）， "Do not thou therefore neglect to seek news of them， for indeed this is a dishonour to us." When Sherkan read the letter， he mourned for his father， but rejoiced in the loss of his brother and sister. Now Nuzhet ez Zeman knew not that he was her brother nor he that she was his sister， although he paid her frequent visits， both by day and by night， till the months of her pregnancy were accomplished and she sat down on the stool of delivery. God made the delivery easy to her and she gave birth to a daughter， whereupon she sent for Sherkan and said to him， "This is thy daughter： name her as thou wilt." Quoth he， "Folk use to name their children on the seventh day." Then he bent down to kiss the child and saw， hung about her neck， a jewel， which he knew at once for one of those that the princess Abrizeh had brought from the land of the Greeks. At this sight， his senses fled， his eyes rolled and wrath seized on him， and he looked at Nuzhet ez Zeman and said to her， "O damsel， whence hadst thou this jewel？" When she heard this， she replied， "I am thy lady and the lady of all in thy palace. Art thou not ashamed to say to me，"O damsel"？[FN#60] Indeed， I am a queen， the daughter of a king；
and now concealment shall cease and the truth be made known. I am Nuzhet ez Zeman， daughter of King Omar ben Ennuman." When Sherkan heard this， he was seized with trembling and bowed his head towards the earth， whilst his heart throbbed and his colour paled， for he knew that she was his sister by the same father.
