They tarried at the monastery six days， and on the seventh，the folk went away； but Sufiyeh said， "I will not return to Constantinople， but by sea." So they fitted her out a ship， in which she embarked， she and her suite， and put out to sea； but as they sailed， a contrary wind caught them and drove the ship from her course， till， as fate and providence would have it， she fell in with a ship of the Christians from the Island of Camphor， with a crew of five hundred armed Franks， who had been cruising about for some time. When they sighted the sails of the ship in which were Sufiyeh and her maidens， they gave chase in all haste and coming up with her before long， threw grapnels on board and made fast to her. Then they made all sail for their own island and were but a little distant from it， when the wind veered and rent their sails and cast them on to a reef on our coast. Thereupon we sallied forth on them， and looking on them as booty driven to us by fate， slew the men and made prize of the ships， in which we found the treasures and rarities in question and forty damsels，amongst whom was Sufiyeh. We carried the damsels to my father，not knowing that the King"s daughter of Constantinople was among them， and he chose out ten of them， including Sufiyeh， for himself， and divided the rest among his courtiers. Then he set apart Sufiyeh and four other girls and sent them to thy father，King Omar ben Ennuman， together with other presents， such as cloth and stuffs of wool and Grecian silks. Thy father accepted them and chose out from amongst the five girls the princess Sufiyeh， daughter of King Afridoun； nor did we hear aught more of the matter till the beginning of this year， when King Afridoun wrote to my father in terms which it befits not to repeat，reproaching and menacing him and saying to him， "Two years ago，there fell into thy hands a ship of ours， that had been seized by a company of Frankish corsairs and in which was my daughter Sufiyeh， attended by near threescore damsels. Yet thou sentest none to tell me of this and I could not make the case public，lest disgrace fall on my repute among the kings， by reason of my daughter"s dishonour. So I kept the affair secret till this year，when I communicated with certain of the Frankish pirates and sought news of my daughter from the kings of the islands. They replied， "By Allah， we carried her not forth of thy realm， but we have heard that King Herdoub took her from certain pirates." And they told me all that had befallen her. So now， except thou wish to be at feud with me and design to disgrace me and dishonour my daughter， thou wilt forthright， as soon as this letter reaches thee， send my daughter back to me. But if thou pay no heed to my letter and disobey my commandment， I will assuredly requite thee thy foul dealing and the baseness of thine acts." When my father read this letter， it was grievous to him and he regretted not having known that Sufiyeh， King Afridoun"s daughter， was amongst the captured damsels， that he might have sent her back to her father； and he was perplexed about the affair， for that， after the lapse of so long a time， he could not send to King Omar ben Ennuman and demand her back from him， the more that he had lately heard that God had vouchsafed him children by this very Sufiyeh.
So when we considered the matter， we knew that this letter was none other than a great calamity； and nothing would serve but that my father must write an answer to it， ****** his excuses to King Afridoun and swearing to him that he knew not that his daughter was among the girls in the ship and setting forth how he had sent her to King Omar ben Ennuman and God had vouchsafed him children by her. When my father"s reply reached King Afridoun， he rose and sat down and roared and foamed at the mouth， exclaiming，"What！ shall he make prize of my daughter and she become a slave-girl and be passed from hand to hand and sent for a gift to kings， and they lie with her without a contract？ By the virtue of the Messiah and the true faith， I will not desist till I have taken my revenge for this and wiped out my disgrace， and indeed I will do a deed that the chroniclers shall chronicle after me." So he took patience till he had devised a plot and laid great snares， when he sent an embassy to thy father King Omar， to tell him that which thou hast heard so that thy father equipped thee and an army with thee and sent thee to him， Afridoun"s object being to lay hold of thee and thine army with thee. As for the three jewels of which he told thy father， he spoke not the truth of them； for they were with Sufiyeh and my father took them from her， when she fell into his hands， she and her maidens， and gave them to me， and they are now with me. So go thou to thy troops and turn them back， ere they fare farther into the land of the Franks and the country of the Greeks； for as soon as you are come far enough into the inward of the country， they will stop the roads upon you， and there will be no escape for you from their hands till the day of rewards and punishments. I know that thy troops are still where thou leftest them， because thou didst order them to halt there three days； and they have missed thee all this time and know not what to do." When Sherkan heard her words， he was absent awhile in thought then he kissed Abrizeh"s hand and said， "Praise be to God who hath bestowed thee on me and appointed thee to be the cause of my salvation and that of those who are with me！ But it is grievous to me to part from thee and I know not what will become of thee after my departure." Quoth she，"Go now to thy troops and lead them back， whilst ye are yet near your own country. If the ambassadors are still with them， lay hands on them， that the case may be made manifest to thee， and after three days I will rejoin thee and we will all enter Baghdad together； but forget thou not the compact between us." Then she rose to bid him farewell and assuage the fire of longing； so she took leave of him and embraced him and wept sore； whereupon passion and desire were sore upon him and he also wept and repeated the following verses：
