will reply, ‘Yes’; and do thou rejoin, ’O my lady, indeed he is complete in honour and manhood and valour and he is lord and King of Egypt and compriseth all praiseworthy qualities.’  An she ask thee, ‘What is his need?’ do thou make answer, ’My lady saluteth thee and saith to thee, how long shall she sit at home, a maid and unmarried?  Indeed, the time is longsome upon her for she is as a magazine wherein wheat is heaped up.[FN#458] What then is thine intent in leaving her without a mate and why dost thou not marry her in thy lifetide and that of her mother, like other girls?’ If she say, ’How shall we do to marry her?  An she have any one in mind, let her tell us of him, and we will do her will as far as may be!” do thou make answer, ’O my lady, thy daughter saith to thee, ’Ye were minded aforetime to marry me to Solomon (on whom be peace!) and portrayed him my portrait on a tunic.  But he had no lot in me; so he sent the tunic to the King of Egypt and he gave it to his son, who saw my portrait figured thereon and fell in love with me; wherefore he left his father and mother’s realm and turning away from the world and whatso is therein, went forth at a venture, a wanderer, love-distraught, and hath borne the utmost hardships and honours for my sake of me.’  Now thou seest his beauty and loveliness, and thy daughter’s heart is enamoured of him; so if ye have a mind to marry her, marry her to this young man and forbid her not from him for he is young and passing comely and King of Egypt, nor wilt thou find a goodlier than he; and if ye will not give her to him, she will slay herself and marry none neither man nor Jinn.’” “And,” continued Badi’a al-Jamal, “Look thou, O Marjanah, ma mie,[FN#459] how thou mayst do with my grandmother, to win her consent, and beguile her with soft words, so haply she may do my desire.”  Quoth the damsel, “O my lady, upon my head and eyes will I serve thee and do what shall content thee.”  Then she took Sayf al-Muluk on her shoulders and said to him, “O King’s son, shut thine eyes.”  He did so and she flew up with him into the welkin; and after awhile she said to him, “O King’s son, open thine eyes.”  He opened them and found himself in a garden, which was none other than the garden of Iram; and she showed him the pavilion and said, “O Sayf al-Muluk, enter therein!” Thereupon he pronounced the name of Allah Almighty and entering cast a look upon the garden, when he saw the old Queen sitting on the couch, attended by her waiting women.  So he drew near her with courtesy and reverence and taking the sandals bussed them and did as Badi’a al-Jamal had enjoined him.  Quoth the ancient dame, “Who art thou and what is thy country; whence comest thou and who brought thee hither and what may be thy wish?  Wherefore dost thou take the sandals and kiss them and when didst thou ask of me a favour which I did not grant?” With this in came Marjanah[FN#460] and saluting her reverently and worshipfully, repeated to her what Badi’a al-Jamal had told her; which when the old Queen heard, she cried out at her and was wroth with her and said, “How shall there be accord between man and Jinn?”—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.