Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night." She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King let proclaim through the city how none should oppose him or delay to obey his bidding; nay, that each and every, great and small, should come forth and pass before the windows of his daughter's palace. Accordingly the Crier went abroad and cried about the city to that purport, bidding all the lieges muster and defile in front of the Princess's windows; and they continued so doing for three full-told days, while she sat continually expecting to sight the youth who had slain the lion, but to no purpose. At last never a soul remained who had not passed in the review, so the Sultan asked, "Is there anyone who hath absented himself?" and they answered, "There is none save a stranger youth who dwelleth in such and such a place." "Bring him hither!" cried the King, "and command him to pass muster," when the others hastened to fetch him; and as soon as he drew near the window, behold, a kerchief was thrown upon him.[FN#310] Then the Sultan summoned him, and he, when standing in the presence, saluted and made obeisance and blessed the Sovran with the blessings fit for the Caliphs. The Sultan was pleased thereat and said, "Art thou he who slew the Lion?" and said the other, "I did." Hereupon quoth the King, "Ask a favour of me, that I grant it to thee;" and quoth the Youth, "I pray of Allah and then of our lord the Sultan that he marry me to his daughter." But the King continued, "Ask of me somewhat of wealth," and all the Lords of the land exclaimed, "By Allah, he deserveth the Princess who saved her from the Lion and slew the beast." Accordingly the King bade the marriage-knot be tied, and let the bridegroom be led in procession to the bride, who rejoiced in him with extreme joy, and he abated her maidenhead and the two lay that night together. But the Prince arose about the latter hours without awaking his bride, and withdrawing her seal-ring from her finger, passed his own thereupon and wrote in the palm of her hand, "I am 'Aláeddín,[FN#311] son of King Such-and-such, who ruleth in the capital of Al-Hind, and, given thou love me truly, do thou come to me, otherwise stay in thy father's house." Then he went forth without awaking her and fared through wilds and wolds for a term of ten days, travelling by light and by night, till he drew near a certain city which was domineered over by an Elephant. Now this beast would come every year and take from the town a damsel; and on this occasion it was the turn of the Princess, daughter to the King who governed that country. But as the youth entered the streets he was met by groans and moans and crying and keening; so