and handed it to her.Then the Princess took the letter and read it； and when she understood it，she exclaimed，'Whence cometh and whither goeth this merchant man that he durst address such a letter to me？'And she slapt her face saying，''Whence are we that we should come to shopkeeping？Awah！ Awah！ By the lord，but that I fear Almighty Allah I had slain him；'and she added，'Yea，I had crucified[32] him over his shop door！'Asked the old woman，'What is in this letter to vex thy heart and move thy wrath on this wise？Doth it contain a complaint of oppression or demand for the price of the stuff？'Answered the Princess，'Woe to thee！ There is none of this in it，naught but words of love and endearment.This is all through thee： otherwise whence should this Satan[33] know me？'Rejoined the old woman，'o my lady，thou sittest in thy high palace and none may have access to thee； no，not even the birds of the air.Allah keep thee，and keep thy youth from blame and reproach！ Thou needest not care for the barking of dogs，for thou art a Princess，the daughter of a King.Be not wroth with me that I brought thee this letter，knowing not what was in it； but I opine that thou send him an answer and threaten him with death and forbid him this foolish talk； surely he will abstain and not do the like again.'Quoth the Lady Dunya，'I fear that，if I write to him，he will desire me the more.'The old woman returned 'When he heareth thy threats and promise of punishment，he will desist from his persistence.'
She cried，'Here with the ink case and paper and brazen pen；'and when they brought them she wrote these couplets，'O thou who for thy wakeful nights wouldst claim my love to boon，For what of pining thou must feel and tribulation！
Dost thou，fond fool and proud of sprite，seek meeting with the Moon？Say，did man ever win his wish to take in arms the Moon？
I counsel thee，from soul cast out the wish that dwells therein，And cut that short which threatens thee with sore risk oversoon：
An to such talk thou dare return，I bid thee to expect