While the fairy thus encouraged Bedreddin, and instructed him how he should behave himself, hump-back was really gone out of the room: for the genie went to him in the shape of a great cat mewing at a most fearful rate. The fellow called to the cat, he clapped his hands to make her flee; but instead of that the cat stood upon her hinder feet, staring with her eyes like fire, looking fiercely at him, mewing louder than she did at first, and growing bigger till she was as large as an ass. At this sight, hump-back would have cried out for help, but his fear was so great, that he stood gaping, and could not utter one word; and that he might have no time to recover, the genie changed himself immediately into a large buffalo, and in this shape, called to him with a voice that redoubled his fear, Thou hump-backed villain! At these words, the affrighted groom cast himself upon the ground, and covering his face with his gown, that he might not see this dreadful beast, Sovereign prince of buffaloes, said he, what is it you want of me? --Wo be to thee, replied the genie; hast thou the boldness to venture to marry my mistress? O my lord, said hump-back, I pray you to pardon me; if I am guilty, it is through ignorance; I did not know that this lady had a buffalo to her sweetheart; command me in any thing you please, I give you my oath that I am ready to obey you. --By death, replied the genie, if thou goest out from hence, or speakest a word till the sun rises, I will crush thy head to pieces; but then I give thee leave to go from hence: I warn thee to make despatch, and not to look back, but if thou hast the imprudence to return, it shall cost thee thy life. When the genie had done speaking, he transformed himself into the shape of a man, took hump-back by the legs, and after having set him against the wall, with his head downwards, if thou stir, said he, before the sun rise, as I have told thee already, I will take thee by the heels again, and dash thy head in a thousand pieces against the wall. To return to Bedreddin Hassan, who being prompted by the genie and the presence of the fairy, got into the hall again, from whence he slipt into the bride-chamber, where he sat down, expecting the success of his adventure. After a while, the bride arrived, conducted by an old matron, who came no farther than the door, exhorting the bridegroom to do his duty like a man, without looking in to see if it was hump-back or another, and then locked the door, and retired.