Alas! my lord, replies the young man, how is it possible
but I should grieve? And why should not my eyes be inexhaustible
fountains of tears? At these words, lifting up his gown, he
showed the sultan that he was a man only from his head to the
girdle, and that the other half of his body was black marble.
Here Scheherazade broke off, and told the sultan that day
appeared.
Schahriar was so much charmed with the story, and became so much
in love with Scheherazade, that he resolved to let her live a
month. He got up, however, as usual, without acquainting her with
his resolution.
The Twenty-second Night.
Dinarzade was so impatient to hear out the story, that she called
her sister next morning sooner than usual, and says to her,
Sister, pray continue the wonderful story you began, but could
not make an end of yesterday morning. I agree to it, replied the
sultaness; hearken then.
You may easily imagine, continues she, that the sultan was
strangely surprised when he saw the deplorable condition of the
young man. That which you show me, says he, as it fills me with
horror, whets my curiosity so, that I am impatient to hear your
history, which no doubt is very strange, and I am persuaded that
the pond and the fishes make some part of it; therefore I conjure
you to tell it me.
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