"By no means," replied Maimoune. "I have no idea of being under any obligation to an accursed（讨厌的） genius like you. I refer the matter to an umpire（裁判员）, and shall expect you to submit to his verdict." 

 

Danhasch readily agreed, and on Maimoune striking the floor with her foot it opened, and a hideous¹（可怕的）, hump-backed, lame², squinting³ genius, with six horns on his head, hands like claws, emerged. As soon as he beheld⁴ Maimoune he threw himself at her feet and asked her commands. 

 

"Rise, Caschcasch," said she. "I summoned you to judge between me and Danhasch. Glance at that couch, and say without any partiality whether you think the youth or the maiden⁵ lying there the more beautiful." 

 

Caschcasch looked at the prince and princess with every token of surprise and admiration⁶. At length, having gazed long without being able to come to a decision, he said 

 

"Madam, I must confess that I should deceive you were I to declare one to be handsomer than the other. There seems to me only one way in which to decide the matter, and that is to wake one after the other and judge which of them expresses the greater admiration for the other." 

 

This advice pleased Maimoune and Danhasch, and the fairy at once transformed herself into the shape of a gnat⁷ and settling on Camaralzaman's throat stung him so sharply that he awoke. As he did so his eyes fell on the Princess of China. Surprised at finding a lady so near him, he raised himself on one arm to look at her. The youth and beauty of the princess at once awoke a feeling to which his heart had as yet been a stranger, and he could not restrain his delight. 

 

"What loveliness! What charms! Oh, my heart, my soul!" he exclaimed, as he kissed her forehead, her eyes and mouth in a way which would certainly have roused her had not the genie⁸'s enchantments⁹（魅力） kept her asleep. 

 

"How, fair lady!" he cried, "you do not wake at the signs of Camaralzaman's love? Be you who you may, he is not unworthy of you." 

 

It then suddenly occurred to him, that perhaps this was the bride his father had destined¹⁰ for him, and that the King had probably had her placed in this room in order to see how far Camaralzaman's aversion to marriage would withstand her charms. 

 

"At all events," he thought, "I will take this ring as a remembrance of her." 

 

So saying he drew off a fine ring which the princess wore on her finger, and replaced it by one of his own. After which he lay down again and was soon fast asleep. 

 

Then Danhasch, in his turn, took the form of a gnat（小昆虫） and bit the princess on her lip. 

 

She started up, and was not a little amazed at seeing a young man beside her. From surprise she soon passed to admiration, and then to delight on perceiving how handsome and fascinating he was. 

 

"Why," cried she, "was it you my father wished me to marry? How unlucky that I did not know sooner! I should not have made him so angry. But wake up! wake up! for I know I shall love you with all my heart." 

 

So saying she shook Camaralzaman so violently that nothing but the spells of Maimoune could have prevented his waking. 

 

"Oh!" cried the princess. "Why are you so drowsy¹¹?" So saying she took his hand and noticed her own ring on his finger, which made her wonder still more. But as he still remained in a profound slumber¹²（睡眠） she pressed a kiss on his cheek and soon fell fast asleep too. 

 

Then Maimoune turning to the genie said: "Well, are you satisfied that my prince surpasses your princess? Another time pray believe me when I assert anything." 

 

Then turning to Caschcasch: "My thanks to you, and now do you and Danhasch bear the princess back to her own home." 

 

The two genii（鬼，魔仆） hastened to obey, and Maimoune returned to her well. 

 

On waking next morning the first thing Prince Camaralzaman did was to look round for the lovely lady he had seen at night, and the next to question the slave who waited on him about her. But the slave persisted so strongly that he knew nothing of any lady, and still less of how she got into the tower, that the prince lost all patience, and after giving him a good beating tied a rope round him and ducked him in the well till the unfortunate man cried out that he would tell everything. Then the prince drew him up all dripping wet, but the slave begged leave to change his clothes first, and as soon as the prince consented hurried off just as he was to the palace. Here he found the king talking to the grand-vizir of all the anxiety his son had caused him. The slave was admitted at once and cried: #p#分页标题#e#

 

"Alas¹³, Sire! I bring sad news to your Majesty¹⁴. There can be no doubt that the prince has completely lost his senses. He declares that he saw a lady sleeping on his couch last night, and the state you see me in proves how violent contradiction makes him." He then gave a minute account of all the prince had said and done. 

 

The king, much moved, begged the vizir to examine into this new misfortune, and the latter at once went to the tower, where he found the prince quietly reading a book. After the first exchange of greetings the vizir said: 

 

"I feel really very angry with your slave for alarming his Majesty by the news he brought him." 

 

"What news?" asked the prince. 

 

"Ah!" replied the vizir, "something absurd, I feel sure, seeing how I find you." 

 

"Most likely," said the prince; "but now that you are here I am glad of the opportunity to ask you where is the lady who slept in this room last night?" 

 

The grand-vizir felt beside himself at this question. 

 

"Prince!" he exclaimed, "how would it be possible for any man, much less a woman, to enter this room at night without walking over your slave on the threshold? Pray consider the matter, and you will realise that you have been deeply impressed by some dream." 

 

But the prince angrily insisted on knowing who and where the lady was, and was not to be persuaded by all the vizir's protestations to the contrary that the plot had not been one of his making. At last, losing patience, he seized the vizir by the beard and loaded him with blows. 

 

"Stop, Prince," cried the unhappy vizir, "stay and hear what I have to say." 

 

The prince, whose arm was getting tired, paused. 

 

"I confess, Prince," said the vizir, "that there is some foundation for what you say. But you know well that a minister has to carry out his master's orders. Allow me to go and to take to the king any message you may choose to send." 

 

"Very well," said the prince; "then go and tell him that I consent to marry the lady whom he sent or brought here last night. Be quick and bring me back his answer." 

 

The vizir bowed to the ground and hastened to leave the room and tower. 

 

"Well," asked the king as soon as he appeared, "and how did you find my son?" 

 

"Alas, sire," was the reply, "the slave's report is only too true!" 

 

He then gave an exact account of his interview with Camaralzaman and of the prince's fury when told that it was not possible for any lady to have entered his room, and of the treatment he himself had received. The king, much distressed¹⁵, determined¹⁶ to clear up the matter himself, and, ordering the vizir to follow him, set out to visit his son. 

 

The prince received his father with profound respect, and the king, making him sit beside him, asked him several questions, to which Camaralzaman replied with much good sense. At last the king said: "My son, pray tell me about the lady who, it is said, was in your room last night."

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