18. Night 53

王子和公主，谁更爱对方呢？

"Sister..." 

"Listen well."

The two jinn had to figure out who was more beautiful, youth or princess, using Qashqash's test. Dahnash transformed into a flea and bit Qamar al-Zaman. The prince woke and slapped at his neck. But Dahnash had already moved to the princess and bitten her, too; differently — this bite put her into a trancelike sleep.

transform，变形

Qamar al-Zaman sat up. A girl was in his bed! With hair as black as his, eyebrows curved in the same way, cheeks round and ruddy as his own. He felt he looked in a mirror that reflected an improved self. Was she real? He reached for her shoulder, but she rolled and her mouth fell open, like a child's. 

ruddy，红润的

Qamar al-Zaman lowered his face to hers. Her warm breath rustled his cheek down. He was overcome with the sense of her purity. She must be honest, forthright, loving. How he decided all this from only her aspect in sleep is a mystery of love, for the youth was definitely in love. "Awaken, my darling." But Princess Budur couldn't wake from that trance. The prince moved his lips until they were above hers. One perfect kiss — that's all he wanted. 

forthright，直率的

Dahnash giggled with pleasure. The prince was intoxicated; Dahnash had won!

intoxicated，被迷住的

Qamar al-Zaman came closer... then stopped. No, no stolen kiss. He would do the right thing. In the morning he'd tell his satisfied father that he would marry her. For surely his father had put her here; how else could she have passed the guard? He slipped the girl's ring onto his own finger. Aha! Even their fingers were the same size. Qamar al-Zaman turned his back and slept.

"See?" said the jinniya Maimuna. Passion had no hold on him. Let's see if your princess behave as well." She became a flea and bit princess Budur on the belly. And, of course, she bit the youth, but with an entrancing bite.

entrancing，使入迷的

Princess Budur's eyes flew open. A man lay beside her! She drew back in alarm. But he didn't move. She dared to lean across him to see his face. His face was soft — or at least it looked soft; she didn't touch it. She () had never touched a youth's face before. The more she studied it, the more she noticed details. Curved lines cupped his mouth; he must laugh a lot. Even closed, his eyes seemed to hold generosity of spirit.

generosity，慷慨

Princess Budur touched her own throat. This was no bully. This was a sensitive soul. Good heavens, she was in love. "Wake," said the princess. "Come live with me and be my love." Qamar al-Zaman slept on. 

"Do you spurn me?" The princess took the youth's hand. And still Qamar al-Zaman slept on. "What is this? You took my ring. Oh! That's an act of love if any there is. I shall do the same." She put Qamar al-Zaman's ring on. Then she wrapped her arms around him and slept.

spurn，嫌弃

Scheherazade rubbed her eyes at the dawn light.

"With her arms wrapping him, the story is neatly wrapped up," said Shah Rayar. He knit his brows. "You make it seem simple. The prince had a belief, yet he let love sweep him off his feet. You make him a fool."

 knit his brows，皱起眉头

"What about the princess?" said Scheherazade. "She had a belief and let love sweep her off her feet."

"But her belief was wrong. Not all men want to rule their wives."

"Might it be that not all women betray their husbands?"

"Perhaps. But it could never be so simple, not like in your story." The nugget of ice in the center of Scheherazade's chest — that nugget that never melted — doubled in size. A straightforward love story could never hold this man's attention.

"The story is not yet ended," said Scheherazade.

"And it is not simple, my husband."

To be continued...