damsels have
been long bound, and their arms and shoulders are weary, and it were
fitting I should loose them, since this next bout may peradventure be a
long one." Then she went up to the girls, and unbinding them said to
them in the Greek tongue, "Go and put yourselves in safety, till I have
brought to naught this Muslim." So they went away, whilst Sherkan looked
at them, and they gazed at him and the young lady. Then he and she drew
near again and set to.... But [again by admiration of her beauty] his
strength failed him, and she feeling this, lifted him in her hands
swifter than the blinding lightning and threw him to the ground. He fell
on his back, and she said to him, "Rise: I give thee thy life a second
time. I spared thee before for the sake of thy prophet, for that he
forbade the killing of women, and I do so this second time because of
thy weakness and tender age, and strangerhood: but I charge thee, if
there be in the army sent by King Omar ben Ennuman a stronger than thou,
send him hither and tell him of me." "By Allah, O my lady," replied
Sherkan (and indeed he was greatly incensed against her), "it was not by
thy strength that thou overthrewest me, but by [thy beauty], so that nor
wit nor foresight was left in me. But now, if thou have a mind to try
another fall with me, with my wits about me, I have a right to this one
bout more by the rules of the game, for my presence of mind has now
returned to me." "Hast thou not had enough of wrestling, O conquered
one?" rejoined she. "However, come, if thou wilt: but know that this
bout must be the last." Then they took hold of each other, and he set to
in earnest and warded himself against being thrown down: so they
wrestled awhile and the damsel found in him strength such as she had not
before observed, and said to him, "O Muslim, thou art on thy guard!"
"Yes," replied he, "thou knowest that there remaineth but this bout, and
after each of us will go his own way." She laughed and he laughed too:
then she seized the opportunity to bore in upon him unawares, and
gripping him by the thigh, threw him to the ground, so that he fell on
his back. She laughed at him and said, "Thou art surely an eater of
bran: for thou art like a Bedouin bonnet that falls off at a touch, or a
child's toy that a puff of air overturns. Out on thee, thou poor
creature! Go back to the army of the Muslims and send us other than
thyself, for thou lackest thews; and cry as among the Arabs and Pe