When it was the Sixty-ninth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Sharrkan heard these words，his heart fluttered and his colour waxed yellow and he was seized with trembling and he hung his head earthwards，for he knew that she was his sister by the same father.Then he lost his senses；and，when he revived，he abode in amazement，but did not discover his identity to her and asked，O my lady，say，art thou in sooth the daughter of King Omar bin al- Nu'uman？' 'Yes，' answered she；and he continued，'Tell me the cause of thy leaving thy sire and of thy being sold for a slave.'
So she related to him all that had befallen her from beginning to end，how she had left her brother sick in the Sanctified City，Jerusalem，and how the Badawi had kidnapped her and had sold her to the trader.When Sharrkan heard this，he was certified of her being his sister on the sword side and said to himself，'How can I have my sister to wife？By Allah，needs must I marry her to one of my chamberlains；and，if the thing get wind，I will declare that I divorced her before consummation and married her to my Chief Chamberlain.' Then he raised his head and sighing said，'O Nuzhat al-Zaman，thou art my very sister and I cry： 'I take refuge with Allah from this sin whereinto we have fallen，'for I am Sharrkan，son of Omar bin al-Nu'uman.' She looked at him and knew he spoke the truth；and，becoming as one demented，she wept and buffeted her face，exclaiming，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah！Verily have we fallen into mortal sin！[301] What shall I do and what shall I say to my father and my mother when they ask me，Whence hadst thou thy daughter？'Quoth Sharrkan，'It were meetest that I marry thee to my Chamberlain and let thee bring up my daughter in his house，that none may know thou be my sister.This hath befallen us from Almighty Allah for a purpose of his own，and nothing shall cover us but thy marriage with this Chamberlain，ere any know.' Then he fell to comforting her and kissing her head and she asked him，'What wilt thou call the girl？''Call her Kuzia Fakan，'[302]answered he.Then he gave the mother in marriage to the Chief Chamberlain，and transferred her to his house with the child，which they reared on the laps of the slave girls，and fed with milk and dosed with powders.Now all this occurred whilst the brother，Zau al-Makan，still tarried with the Fireman at Damascus.One day there came to King Sharrkan a courier from his father，with a letter which he took and read and found therein，'After the Bismillah know，O beloved King，that I am afflicted with sore affliction for the loss of my children： sleep ever faileth me and wakefulness ever assaileth me.I send thee this letter that，as soon as thou receivest it，thou make ready the monies and the tribute，and send them to us，together with the damsel whom thou hast bought and taken to wife；for I long to see her and hear her discourse；more especially because there hath come to us from Roumland an old woman of saintly bearing and with her be five damsels high bosomed virgins，endowed with knowledge and good breeding and all arts and sciences befitting mortals to know；and indeed tongue faileth me to describe this old woman and these who with her wend；for of a truth they are compendiums of perfections in learning and accomplishments.As soon as I saw them I loved them，and I wished to have them in my palace and in the compass of my hand；for none of the Kings owneth the like of them；so I asked the old woman their price and she answered，'I will not sell them but for the tribute of Damascus.' And I，by Allah，did not hold this price exorbitant，indeed it is but little，for each one of them is worth the whole valuation.So I agreed to that and took them into my palace，and they remain in my possession.Wherefore do thou forward the tribute to us that the woman may return to her own country；and send to us the damsel to the end that she may dispute with them before the doctors；and，if she prevail over them，I will return her to thee accompanied by the tribute of Baghdad.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
