As soon as he saw the bed where the black lay,
lie drew his scimitar, killed the wretch without resistance,
dragged his corpse into the court of the castle, and threw it
into a well. After this he went and lay down in the black's bed,
took his scimitar with him under the counterpane, and lay there
to execute what he had designed.
The magician arrived in a little time; she first went into the
chamber where her husband, the king of the Black Islands, was;
stripped him, and beat him with bull pizzles in a most barbarous
manner. The poor prince filled the palace with his lamentations
to no purpose; and conjured her, in the most affecting manner
that could be, to take pity on him; but the cruel woman would not
give over till she had given him an hundred blows. You had no
compassion on my lover, said she, and you are to expect none from
me. Scheherazade, perceiving day, stopped, and could go no
further.
O heaven! says Dinarzade, sister, this was a barbarous
enchantress indeed. But must we stop here? Will you not tell us
whether she received the chastisement she deserved? My dear
sister, says the sultaness, I desire nothing more than to
acquaint you with it to-morrow; but you know that depends on the
sultan's pleasure. After what Schahriar had heard, he was far
from any design to put Scheherazade to death; on the contrary,
says he to himself, I will not take away her life till she has
finished this surprising story, though it should last for two
months.
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