"
Now when she finished her verse I thanked her, for indeed love of
her had gotten hold of my heart, and my grief and anguish were gone.
We sat at converse and carousal till nightfall, and with her I spent
the night- such night never spent I in all my life! On the morrow
delight followed delight till midday, by which time I had drunken wine
so freely that I had lost my wits, and stood up, staggering to the
right and to the left, and said "Come, O my charmer, and I will
carry thee up from this underground vault and deliver thee from the
spell of thy Jinni." She laughed and replied: "Content thee and hold
thy peace. Of every ten days one is for the Ifrit and the other nine
are thine." Quoth I (and in good sooth drink had got the better of
me), "This very instant will I break down the alcove whereon is graven
the talisman and summon the Ifrit that I may slay him, for it is a
practice of mine to slay Ifrits!" When she heard my words, her color
waxed wan and she said, "By Allah, do not!" and she began repeating:
"This is a thing wherein destruction lies.
I rede thee shun it an thy wits be wise.
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