Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
As soon as the genie had set down the nuptial-bed in its proper place,
the sultan, curious to know how the princess his daughter had spent the
wedding-night, opened the door to wish her good morning. The grand
vizier’s son, who was almost perished with cold, by standing in his
shirt all night, and had not had time to warm himself in bed, no sooner
heard the door open, but he got out of bed, and ran into the wardrobe,
where he had undressed himself the night before.
The sultan went to the bed-side, kissed the princess between the eyes,
according to custom, wishing her a good-morrow, and asked her smiling,
how she had passed the night. But lifting up her head, and looking at
her more earnestly, he was extremely surprised to see her so melancholy,
and that neither by a blush nor any other sign she could satisfy his
curiosity. She only cast at him a sorrowful look, expressive of great
affliction or great dissatisfaction. He said a few words to her; but
finding that he could not get a word from her, he attributed it to her
modesty, and retired. Nevertheless, he suspected that there was
something extraordinary in this silence, and thereupon went immediately
to the sultaness’s apartment, and told her in what a state he found the
princess, and how she received him. “Sir,” said the sultaness, “your
majesty ought not to be surprised at this behaviour; all new-married
people always have a reserve about them the next day; she will be quite
another thing in two or three days’ time, and then she will receive the
sultan her father as she ought; but I will go and see her,” added she;
“I am very much deceived if she receives me in the same manner.”
As soon as the sultaness was dressed, she went to the princess’s
apartment, who was still in bed. She undrew the curtain, wished her
good-morrow, and kissed her. But how great was her surprise when she
returned no answer; and looking more attentively at her, she perceived
her to be very much dejected, which made her judge that something had
happened which she did not understand. “How comes it, child,” said the
sultaness, “that you do not return my caresses? Ought you to treat your
mother after this manner? And do you think I do not know what may have
happened in your circumstances? I am apt to believe you do not think so,
and something extraordinary has happened: come, tell me freely, and
leave me no longer in a painful suspense.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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