第21章

Am I mad that thou shouldst lay this charge on me and I disobey thee therein？ Depart，O my son，with heart at ease，and please Allah；soon thou shalt return in safety and see her and she shall tell thee how I have dealt with her： but tarry not，O my son，beyond the time of travel.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night； She resumed，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Hasan had determined to visit the Princesses，he gave his mother the orders we have mentioned.[85]Now，as Fate would have it；his wife heard what he said to his mother and neither of them knew it.Then Hasan went without the city and beat the kettle-drum，whereupon up came the dromedaries and he loaded twenty of them with rarities of Al-Irak；after which he returned to his mother and repeated his charge to her and took leave of her and his wife and children，one of whom was a yearling babe and the other two years old.Then he mounted and fared on；without stopping night or day，over hills and valleys and plains and wastes for a term of ten days till，on the eleventh，he reached the palace and went in to his sisters，with the gifts he had brought them.The Princesses rejoiced at his sight and gave him joy of his safety，whilst his sister decorated the palace within and without.Then they took the presents and，lodging him in a chamber as before，asked him of his mother and his wife，and he told them that she had borne him two sons.And the youngest Princess，seeing him well and in good case，joyed with exceeding joy and repeated this couplet；'I ever ask for news of you from whatso breezes pass * And never any but yourselves can pass across my mind.'

Then he abode with them in all honour and hospitality，for three months，spending his time in feasting and merrymaking，joy and delight，hunting and sporting.So fared it with him；but as regards his wife，she abode with his mother two days after her husband's departure，and on the third day，she said to her；'Glory be to God！ Have I lived with him three years and shall I

never go to the bath？'Then she wept and Hasan's mother had pity on her condition and said to her，'O my daughter，here we are strangers and thy husband is abroad.Were he at home，he would serve thee himself，but，as for me，I know no one.However，O my daughter，I will heat thee water and wash thy head in the Hammam-bath which is in the house.'Answered the King's daughter；'O my lady，hadst thou spoken thus to one of the slave-girls，she had demanded to be sold in the Sultan's open market and had not abode with thee.[86] Men are excusable，because they are jealous and their reason telleth them that，if a woman go forth the house，haply she will do frowardness.But women，O my lady；are not all equal and alike and thou knowest that，if woman have a mind to aught，whether it be the Hammam or what not else，none hath power over her to guard her or keep her chaste or debar her from her desire；for she will do whatso she willeth and naught restraineth her but her reason and her religion.'[87] Then she wept and cursed fate and bemoaned herself and her strangerhood；till Hasan's mother was moved to ruth for her case and knew that all she said was but truth and that there was nothing for it but to let her have her way.So she committed the affair to Allah （extolled and exalted be He！） and making ready all that they needed for the bath，took her and went with her to the Hammam.

She carried her two little sons with her，and when they entered；they put off their clothes and all the women fell to gazing on the Princess and glorifying God （to whom belong Might and Majesty！） for that He had created so fair a form.The women of the city，even those who were passing by，flocked to gaze upon her，and the report of her was noised abroad in Baghdad till the bath was crowded that there was no passing through it.Now it chanced there was present on that day and on that rare occasion with the rest of the women in the Hammam，one of the slave-girls of the Commander of the Faithful，Harun al-Rashid，by name Tohfah[88] the Lutanist，and she，finding the Hammam over crowded and no passing for the throng of women and girls，asked what was to do；and they told her of the young lady.So she walked up to her and，considering her closely，was amazed at her grace and loveliness and glorified God （magnified be His majesty！） for the fair forms He hath created.The sight hindered her from her bath，so that she went not farther in nor washed；but sat staring at the Princess，till she had made an end of bathing and coming forth of the caldarium donned her raiment；whereupon beauty was added to her beauty.She sat down on the divan，[89] whilst the women gazed upon her；then she looked at them and veiling herself，went out.Tohfah went out with her and followed her，till she saw where she dwelt，when she left her and returned to the Caliph's palace；and ceased not wending till she went in to the Lady Zubaydah and kissed ground between her hands；

whereupon quoth her mistress，'O Tohfah，why hast thou tarried in the Hammam？' She replied，'O my lady，I have seen a marvel；never saw I its like amongst men or women，and this it was that distracted me and dazed my wit and amazed me，so that I forgot even to wash my head.' Asked Zubaydah，'And what was that？'；