To return to Dhat ed Dewahi. As soon as she had delivered Zoulmekan and his companions into the hands of the infidels， she mounted a swift horse， saying to the Christians， "I mean to rejoin the Muslim army before Constantinople and contrive for their destruction； for I will tell them that their chiefs are dead， and when they hear this， their alliance will be dissolved and their confederation broken up and their host dispersed. Then will I go to King Afridoun and my son King Herdoub， and they will sally forth on them with their troops and destroy them， nor leave one of them alive." So she mounted and fared on across country all that night， and at daybreak， she sighted the army of Behram and Rustem advancing towards her. So she turned aside into a wayside copse and alighting there， hid her horse among the trees，saying to herself， "Belike they are returning， routed， from the assault of Constantinople." However， as she drew near， she saw that their standards were not reversed and knew that they were not retreating because of defeat， but that they feared for their king and their chiefs. When she was assured of this， she hastened up to them， running at the top of her speed， like a stubborn Satan as she was， and cried out， "Hasten， O soldiers of the Merciful One， hasten to the holy war against the hosts of Satan！"
When Behram saw her， he dismounted and kissing the earth before her， said， "What is behind thee， O friend of God？"[FN#111] "Do not ask of evil case and sore disasters，" answered she. "Know that， when our comrades had taken the treasure from the hermitage and were on their way back to Constantinople， there came out on them a great host and a fierce of unbelievers." And she repeated to them the story， in such wise as to fill them with trouble and terror， and added， "The most of them are dead， and there are but five-and-twenty left." "O holy man，" said Behram， "when didst thou leave them？" "But last night，" replied she. "Glory be to God，" exclaimed he， "Who hath rolled up the distance for thee like a carpet， so that thou hast sped thus， walking upon thy feet and leant upon a palm-tree staff！ But thou art one of the friends of God， that fly like birds， when possessed by the stress of His commandment！" Then he mounted his horse， perplexed and confounded for that which he had heard from the lying old beldam and saying，"There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High！ Verily our labour is lost and our hearts are heavy within us， for our king is a prisoner and those who are with him！" Then they fared on in haste and stayed not the whole of that day and night， till at daybreak they reached the head of the pass and heard Zoulmekan and Sherkan shouting， "There is no god but God！ God is most great！" Whereupon they drove at the unbelievers and overwhelmed them， as the torrent overwhelms the plains， shouting out their war-cries， till the stoutest champions were affrighted and the mountains were cloven by the noise. On the morrow， they foregathered with Zoulmekan， and each recognised the other as has been before set out. Then they kissed the earth before the King and his brother Sherkan， and the latter told them all that had befallen him and his men in the grotto， whereat they marvelled and said， "Hasten back with us to Constantinople， for we left our companions there， and our hearts are with them." So they made haste to depart， commending themselves to the Subtle， the All-wise； and Zoulmekan exhorted the Muslims to steadfastness，reciting the following verses：
To thee be the praise， O Thou that meritest thanks and praise！
And mayest Thou never cease to succour me all my days！
I grew up in exile， but Thou， my God， wast ever my friend. "Twas Thou didst decree me success and broughtest me forth of the maze.
Thou hast given me lordship and wealth and fortune and girded my midst With the falchion of valour and wreathed my forehead with victory"s bays.
Thou hast shadowed me under Thy wings and made me to prosper amain And hast graced me with favours untold， of Thy bounties abounding always：
Thou hast saved me from all that I feared， by the counsel of him whom I trust， The Vizier and chief of the chiefs， the hero and pride of our days.
By Thy favour we fell on the Greeks and smote them with sword and with spear； But again to the fight they returned， in garments blood-red for affrays.
So I feigned to be routed and flee and give back from the fight；
then I turned On the toe， as the fierce lion turns on the hunters， that find him at gaze.
I left them laid low on the plain， as "twere they were drunken with wine， Not the wine that is pressed from the grape， but that of death"s cup of amaze；
Whilst their ships all fell under our hand and ours was the empery grown： From the East to the West， sea and shore， we were lords of the lands and the ways.
Then there came to our camp the recluse， the saint， whose miraculous power Is blazoned in desert and town， wherever the sun sheds its rays.
He joined us， his vengeance to wreak on all that believe not in God. Indeed， it is known to the folk what came of our strife and our frays.
They slew of us some， but they woke on the morrow in Paradise，Each lodged in a palace on high， whereunder a river strays.
When Zoulmekan had made an end of reciting these verses， his brother Sherkan gave him joy of his safety and praise for that he had done； after which they set out by forced marches to rejoin their army.
