The Arabian Nights [271]
At this the princess lost all patience, and taking her nurse by the hair of her head, and giving her two or three sound cuffs, cried, "You shall tell me where this young man is, you old sorceress, or I will put you to death."
The nurse struggled to get from her, and at last succeeded. She went immediately with tears in her eyes, and her face all bloody, to complain to the queen, who was not a little surprised to see her in this condition, and asked who had misused her.
"Madam," began the nurse, "you see how the princess has treated me; she had certainly murdered me, if I had not had the good fortune to escape out of her hands." She then related what had been the cause of all that violent passion in the princess. The queen was surprised at her account, and could not guess how she came to be so infatuated as to take that for a reality which could be no other than a dream. "Your majesty must conclude from all this," continued the nurse, "that the princess is out of her senses. You will think so yourself if you will go and see her."
The queen's affection for the princess deeply interested her in what she heard; she ordered the nurse to follow her; and they immediately went together to the princess's palace.
The queen of China sat down by her daughter's bed-side on her arrival in her apartment, and after she had informed herself about her health began to ask her what had made her so angry with her nurse, as to treat her in the manner she had done. "Daughter," said she, "this is not right, and a great princess like you should not suffer herself to be so transported by passion."
"Madam," replied the princess, "I plainly perceive your majesty is come to mock me; but I declare I will never let you rest till you consent to my marrying the young man who lay with me last night. You must know where he is, and therefore I beg of your majesty to let him come to me again."
"Daughter," answered the queen, "you surprise me; I do not understand your meaning." The princess now forgot all respect for the queen; "Madam," replied she, "the king my father and you have persecuted me about marrying, when I had no inclination; I now have an inclination, and I will have this young man I told you of for my husband, or I will destroy myself."
The queen endeavoured to calm the princess by conciliatory language: "Daughter," said she, "you know well you are guarded in this apartment, how then could any man come to you?" But instead of attending to her, the princess interrupted her, by such extravagancies as obliged the queen to leave her, and retire in great affliction, to inform the king of all that had passed.
When the king had heard the account, he wished likewise to be satisfied in person, and coming to his daughter's apartment, asked her, if what he had been told was true? "Sir," replied the princess, "let us talk no more of that; I only beseech your majesty to grant me the favour, that I may marry the young man I lay with last night."
"What! daughter," said the king, "has any one lain with you last night?" "How, sir," replied the princess, without giving him time to go on, "do you ask me if any one lay with me last night? Your majesty knows that but too well. He was the most beautiful youth the sun ever saw: I ask him of you for my husband; I entreat you do not refuse me. But that your majesty may not longer doubt whether I have seen this young man, whether he has lain with me, whether I have caressed him, or whether I did not my utmost to awake him without succeeding, see, if you please, this ring." She then reached forth her hand, and shewed the king a man's ring on her finger. The king was perplexed what to think. He had confined his daughter as mad, he began now to think her more insane