Then he looked up and，seeing the eunuch standing in service upon him，said，'Out on thee，O Sawab！Who was it came hither and took away the young lady from my side and I still sleeping？'Asked the eunuch，'O my lord，what manner of young lady？''The young lady who lay with me last night，'replied Kamar alZaman. The eunuch was startled at his words and said to him，'By Allah，there hath been with thee neither young lady nor other！How should young lady have come in to thee，when I was sleeping in the doorway and the door was locked？ By Allah，O my lord，neither male nor female hath come in to thee！'Exclaimed the Prince，'Thou liest，O pestilent slave！is it of thy competence also to hoodwink me and refuse to tell me what is become of the young lady who lay with me last night and decline to inform me who took her away？'
Replied the eunuch （and he was affrighted at him），'By Allah，O my lord，I have seen neither young lady nor young lord！'His words only angered Kamar alZaman the more and he said to him，'O accursed one，my father hath indeed taught thee deceit！Come hither.'So the eunuch came up to him，and the Prince took him by the collar and dashed him to the ground；whereupon he let fly a loud fart[272] and Kamar alZaman，kneeling upon him，kicked him and throttled him till he fainted away. Then he dragged him forth and tied him to the wellrope，and let him down like a bucket into the well and plunged him into the water，then drew him up and lowered him down again. Now it was hard winter weather，and Kamar alZaman ceased not to plunge the eunuch into the water and pull him up again and douse him and haul him whilst he screamed and called for help；and the Prince kept on saying 'By Allah，O damned one，I will not draw thee up out of this well till thou tell me and fully acquaint me with the story of the young lady and who it was took her away，whilst I slept.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the One and Eightyseventh Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Kamar al
Zaman said to the eunuch，'By Allah！I will not draw thee up out of this well until thou tell me the story of the young lady and who it was took her away whilst I slept.'Answered the eunuch，after he had seen death staring him in the face；'O my lord，let me go and I will relate to thee the truth and the whole tale.'So Kamar alZaman pulled him up out of the well，all but dead for suffering，what with cold and the pain of dipping and dousing，drubbing and dread of drowning. He shook like cane in hurricane，his teeth were clenched as by cramp and his clothes were drenched and his body befouled and torn by the rough sides of the well：
briefly he was in a sad pickle. Now when Kamar alZaman saw him in this sorry plight，he was concerned for him；but，as soon as the eunuch found himself on the floor，he said to him，'O my lord，let me go and doff my clothes and wring them out and spread them in the sun to dry，and don others；after which I will return to thee forthwith and tell thee the truth of the matter.'
Answered the Prince，'O rascal slave！hadst thou not seen death face to face，never hadst thou confessed to fact nor told me a word；but go now and do thy will，and then come back to me at once and tell me the truth.'Thereupon the eunuch went out，hardly crediting his escape，and ceased not running，stumbling and rising in his haste，till he came in to King Shahriman，whom he found sitting at talk with his Wazir of Kamar alZaman's case.
The King was saying to the Minister，'I slept not last night，for anxiety concerning my son，Kamar alZaman and indeed I fear lest some harm befal him in that old tower. What good was there in imprisoning him？'Answered the Wazir，'Have no care for him. By Allah，no harm will befal him！None at all！Leave him in prison for a month till his temper yield and his spirit be broken and he return to his senses.'As the two spoke behold，up rushed the eunuch，in the aforesaid plight，****** to the King who was troubled at sight of him；and he cried 'O our lord the Sultan！
Verily，thy son's wits are fled and he hath gone mad，he hath dealt with me thus and thus，so that I am become as thou seest me，and he kept saying，'A young lady lay with me this night and stole away secretly whilst I slept. Where is she？' And he insisteth on my letting him know where she is and on my telling him who took her away. But I have seen neither girl nor boy：the door was locked all through the night，for I slept before it with the key under my head，and I opened to him in the morning with my own hand. When King Shahriman heard this，he cried out，saying，'Alas，my son！；'and he was enraged with sore rage against the Wazir，who had been the cause of all this case and said to him，'Go up，bring me news of my son and see what hath befallen his mind.'So the Wazir rose and，stumbling over his long skirts，in his fear of the King's wrath，hastened with the slave to the tower. Now the sun had risen and when the Minister came in to Kamar alZaman，he found him sitting on the couch reciting the Koran；so he saluted him and seated himself by his side，and said to him，'O my lord，this wretched eunuch brought us tidings which troubled and alarmed us and which incensed the King.'Asked Kamar alZaman，'And what hath he told you of me to trouble my father？