d nights. By the will of the Great King it left no
trace upon me. At the end of a week the pert-king ordered the ashes to
be cast upon the dust-heap, and I was found alive and unharmed.

'Peris who had seen Gul consumed by her love for me now interceded with
the king, and said: "It is clear that your daughter's fortunes are bound
up with his, for the fire has not hurt him. It is best to give him the
girl, for they love one another. He is King of Waq of Qaf, and you will
find none better."

'To this the king agreed, and made formal marriage between Gul and me.
You now know the price I paid for this faithless creature. O prince!
remember our compact.'

'I remember,' said the prince; 'but tell me what brought Queen Gul to
her present pass?'

'One night,' continued King Sinaubar,'I was aroused by feeling Gul's
hands and feet, deadly cold, against my body. I asked her where she had
been to get so cold, and she said she had had to go out. Next morning,
when I went to my stable I saw that two of my horses, Windfoot and
Tiger, were thin and worn out. I reprimanded the groom and beat him. He
asked where his fault lay, and said that every night my wife took one
or other of these horses and rode away, and came back only just before
dawn. A flame kindled in my heart, and I asked myself where she could go
and what she could do. I told the groom to be silent, and when next Gul
took a horse from the stable to saddle another quickly and bring it to
me. That day I did not hunt, but stayed at home to follow the matter up.
I lay down as usual at night and pretended to fall asleep. When I seemed
safely off Gul got up and went to the stable as her custom was. That
night it was Tiger's turn. She rode off on him, and I took Windfoot and
followed. With me went that dog you see, a faithful friend who never
left me.

'When I came to the foot of those hills which lie outside the city I saw
Gul dismount and go towards a house which some negroes have built there.
Over against the door was a high seat, and on it lay a giant negro,
before whom she salaamed. He got up and beat her till she was marked
with weals, but she uttered no complaint. I was dumfounded, for once
when I had struck her with a rose stalk she had complained and fretted
for three days! Then the negro said to her: "How now, ugly one and
shaven head! Why are you so late, and why are you not wearing wedding
garments?" She answered him: "That person did not go to sleep quickly,
and