as; she replied, "I am the daughter of the
king's _wakili mutlak_, [354] and had been betrothed to my uncle's
son. On the day of the marriage night he was attacked with a colic,
and was in such agonies from the pain, that he expired in an instant;
[355] they brought me here with his corpse and have left me." She then
asked to hear my story; I also related the whole to her, and said,
"God hath sent thee here for my sake." She smiled and remained silent.

"'In this way mutual affection increased between us in a short time;
I taught her the principles of the _Musalman_ faith, and made her
repeat our _kalima_. I then performed the marriage ceremony, and
cohabited with her; she also became pregnant and brought forth a
son. Nearly three years passed in this manner. When she weaned the
child, I said to my wife, "How long shall we remain here, and how
shall we get out from hence?" She replied, "If God takes us out,
then we shall get out; otherwise we shall some day die here." I wept
bitterly at what she said, and at our confinement, and continuing
to weep, I fell asleep. I saw a person in my dream, who said to me,
"There is an outlet through the drain; go thou forth." I started up
with joy, and said to my wife, "Collect and bring with you all the
old nails and bolts which belonged to the rotten chests, that I may
[with their help] widen [the mouth of the drain]." In short, I having
applied a large nail to the mouth of that drain, used to strike it with
a stone until I became quite tired; however, after a year's labour,
I widened the opening so much that a man could get through it.

"'I then put the very finest of the precious stones into the sleeves
of the habits of the dead, and taking them with us, we three got out
through the opening [I had made]. I offered up thanks to God [for
our deliverance], and placed the boy on my shoulders. It is a month
since we quitted the high road from fear, and have travelled through
bye-paths of the woods and mountains; when hunger attacked us, we fed
on grass and leaves. I have not strength left to say a word more;
these are my adventures which you have just heard,' O mighty king,
[356] I took pity on his condition, and having sent him to the bath,
I had him well dressed, and made him my deputy. In my own house I
had had several children by the princess, but they died one after
another, when young; one son lived to five years of age, and then
died; from grief for him my wife died also. I was