' 'Good,' answered she; 'on my head be it!' Then she
tucked up her sleeves and heating some water, washed his hands
and feet and body, after which she clothed him in a gown
belonging to one of her slave-girls and gave him a cup of wine to
drink and sprinkled rose-water over him. So he revived and
moaned, as he thought of his beloved Cout el Culoub! and sorrows
were sore upon him.
Meanwhile, Cout el Culoub abode in duresse fourscore days, at the
end of which time, the Khalif chancing one day to pass the place
in which she was, heard her repeating verses and saying, 'O my
beloved, O Ghanim, how great is thy goodness and how chaste is
thy nature! Thou didst good to him who hath injured thee, thou
guardedst his honour who hath violated thine, and didst protect
the harem of him who hath despoiled thee and thine! But thou wilt
surely stand, with the Commander of the Faithful, before the Just
Judge and be justified of him on the day when the judge shall be
the Lord of all (to whom belong might and majesty) and the
witnesses the angels!' When the Khalif heard her complaint, he
knew that she had been wrongfully entreated and returning to his
palace sent Mesrour the eunuch for her. She came before him, with
bowed head, tearful-eyed and mournful-hearted, and he said to
her, 'O Cout el Culoub, I find thou taxest me with injustice and
tyranny and avouchest that I have wronged him who did me good.
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