You may depend
upon me, and, provided you follow exactly the advice I shall give
you, before I abandon you to her, she shall have no more power
over you than she has over myself."

The magic queen did not fail to pass by the old man's shop the
next day, with the same pomp as the preceding, and Abdallah
waited for her with great respect. "Father," cried she, "you may
judge of my impatience to have your nephew with me, by my
punctually coming to remind you of your promise. I know you are a
man of your word, and I cannot think you will break it with me."

Abdallah, who fell on his face as soon as he saw the queen
approaching, rose up when she had done speaking; and as he would
have no one hear what he had to say to her, he advanced with
great respect as far as her horse's head, and then said softly,
"Puissant queen! I am persuaded your majesty will not be offended
at my seeming unwillingness to trust my nephew with you
yesterday, since you cannot be ignorant of the reasons I had for
it; but I conjure you to lay aside the secrets of that art which
you possess in so wonderful a degree. I regard my nephew as my
own son; and your majesty would reduce me to despair, if you
should deal with him as you have done with others."

"I promise you I will not," replied the queen; "and I once more
repeat the oath I made yesterday, that neither you nor your
nephew shall have any cause to be offended at me. I see plainly,"
added she, "you are not yet well enough acquainted with me; you
never saw me yet but through my veil; but as I find your nephew
deserving of my friendship, I will shew you I am not any ways
unworthy of his." With that she threw off her veil, and
discovered to King Beder, who came near her with Abdallah, an
incomparable beauty. But King Beder was little charmed: "It is
not enough," said he within himself, "to be beautiful; one's
actions ought to correspond in regularity with one's features."

Whilst King Beder was making these reflections with his eyes
fixed on queen Labe, the old man turned towards him, and taking
him by the arm, presented him to her: "Madam," said he, "I beg of
your majesty once more to remember he is my nephew, and to let
him come and see me sometimes." The queen promised he should; and
to give a further mark of her gratitude, she caused a bag of a
thousand pieces of gold to be given him. He excused himself at
first from receiving them, but she insisted absolutely upon it,
and he could not refu