When once ye have brought me into the Muslim camp，" added the old woman， "I know how I will make shift to beguile them and slay them all， even to the last man." When the Christians heard what she said， they kissed her hands and laid her in a chest， after they had beaten her grievously， in obedience to her commands，seeing it to be incumbent on them to do her bidding in this， then made for the Muslim camp.
Meanwhile， the Muslims sat down to converse with each other，after they had made an end of the battle and the pillage， and Zoulmekan said to his brother， "Verily， God hath given us the victory， because of our just dealing and concord amongst ourselves； wherefore， O Sherkan， do thou continue to obey my commandment， in submission to God （to whom belong might and majesty）， for I mean to slay ten kings and fifty thousand of the Greeks， in revenge for my father， and enter Constantinople." "My life be thy ransom against death！" replied Sherkan. "Needs must I follow forth the Holy War， though I tarry many a year in the infidels" country. But， O my brother， I have in Damascus a daughter called Kuzia Fekan， who is one of the marvels of the time， and I love her heartily." "And I also，" said Zoulmekan，"have left my wife with child and near her time， nor do I know what God will vouchsafe me by her. But， O my brother， promise me that， if she bring me a son， thou wilt grant me thy daughter for my son and pledge me thy faith thereon." "With all my heart，"
replied Sherkan and put out his hand to his brother， saying， "If thou be blessed with a son， I will give him my daughter Kuzia Fekan to wife." At this Zoulmekan rejoiced， and they fell to giving each other joy of the victory， whilst the Vizier Dendan also congratulated them and said to them "Know， O Kings， that God hath given us the victory， for that we have devoted ourselves to Him （to whom belong might and majesty） and have left our homes and families： and it is my counsel that we follow up the foe and press upon them and harass them； it may be God shall bring us to our desire and we shall destroy our enemies. If it please you， do ye embark in the ships and sail upon the sea， whilst we fare forward by land and bear the brunt of the battle." And he ceased not to urge them to action， repeating the following verses：
The goodliest of delights it is one"s foes to slay And on the backs of steeds the spoil to bear away.
Oft comes a messenger with promise of a friend， And the friend comes himself without a trysting-day.
And these also：
As I live， I will make of war my mother and the spear My brother and the sword my father， and for fere I will take each shag-haired warrior that meets death with a smile， As if to die in battle were e"en his wish most dear！
"Glory be to God，" continued he， "Who hath vouchsafed us His almighty aid and hath given us spoil of silver and fine gold！"
Then Zoulmekan commanded to depart； and the army set out and fared on， by forced marches， toward Constantinople， till they came to a wide and blooming champaign， full of all things fair，with wild cattle frisking and gazelles passing to and fro. Now they had traversed great deserts and had been six days cut off from water， when they drew near this meadow and saw therein waters welling and trees laden with ripe fruits and the land as it were Paradise； it had donned its adornments and decked itself.[FN#102] The branches of its trees swayed gently to and fro， drunken with the new wine of the dew， and therein were conjoined the fresh sweetness of the fountains of Paradise and the soft breathings of the zephyr. Mind and eye were confounded with its beauty， even as says the poet：
Look on the verdant smiling mead， with flowers and herbs beseen，As "twere the Spring thereon had spread a mantle all of green.
If thou behold it with the eye of sense alone， thou"lt see Nought but as "twere a lake wherein the water waves， I ween：
But with thy mind"s eye look； thou"lt see a glory in the trees And lo" amidst the boughs above， the waving banners" sheen！
Or as another says：
The river"s a cheek that the sun has rosy made； For ringlets it borrows the cassia"s creeping shade.
The water makes anklets of silver about the legs Of the boughs，and the flowers for crowns o"er all are laid.
When Zoulmekan saw this champaign， with its thick-leaved trees and its blooming flowers and warbling birds， he turned to his brother Sherkan and said to him， "O my brother， verily Damascus hath not in it the like of this place. We will abide here three days， that we may rest ourselves and that the troops may regain strength and their souls be fortified to encounter the accursed infidels." So they halted and pitched their camp there.
Presently， they heard a noise of voices afar， and Zoulmekan enquiring the cause thereof， was told that a caravan of Syrian merchants had halted there to rest and that the Muslim troops had come on them and had haply seized some of their goods， that they had brought from the country of the infidels. After awhile， up came the merchants， crying out and appealing to the King for redress. So Zoulmekan bade bring them before him， and they said to him， "O King， we have been in the country of the infidels and they spoiled us of nothing： why then do our brothers the Muslims despoil us of our goods， and that in their own country？ When we saw your troops， we went up to them， thinking no evil， and they robbed us of what we had with us." Then they brought out to him the letter of the King of Constantinople， and Sherkan took it and reading it， said to them， "We will restore you what has been taken from you； but it behoved you not to carry merchandise to the country of the infidels." "O our lord，" replied they， "of a truth， God moved us to go thither， that we might win what never champion won the like of， no， not even thou in ail thy battles."
