Arabian Nights: 234th Night: Jullanar of the Sea - 5

The following night Shahrazad continued the story of Jullanar:

The slave girl was not in a mood to speak and sat down with bowed head. But the king continued with his pleasantries.  But inspite of his efforts the girl remained in the same state.  The maids removed the table.
The king and the girl washed their hands. Again, he began his efforts to make the girl speak. But he failed.  He said to himself, "O God, she is beautiful, but it seems that she is deaf and dumb."

He summoned his concubines, favourites and other women, and bade them to entertain her with all kinds of music and songs.  The king enjoyed it, but she did not.  And the king could not ascertain what was her response to these events.  The king was very much depressed.  He dismissed all others and remained alone with her, in his private chamber.

He took off his clothes, lay down in his bed, and drew her to him.  He looked at her, and took off her clothes one by one until she was fully naked, he was enthralled by lust and entered into her.  He discovered that she had been a virgin, and this knowledge rejoiced him, and he said to himself, "By God, it is amazing that such a girl of beauty and grace, and who has been bought and sold as a slave, has remained a virgin.  This is a mystery."

Thereafter he devoted himself fully to her, and she began to assume and occupy a great place in his heart.  He began to neglect all his concubines 
and other women, and considered her as a blessing in his life.  He lived with her the entire year as if it were one day, yet she never spoke to him or uttered a single word, and this he felt very hard.

One day he turned to her.......

But morning overtook and Shahrazad put a break to her story telling.




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