The Djinns jerked the Palace and the gardens a thousand miles into the air : there was a most awful thunder-clap , and everything grew inky-black . The Butterfly 's Wife fluttered about in the dark , crying , ` Oh , I 'll be good ! I 'm so sorry I spoke . Only bring the gardens back , my dear darling husband , and I 'll never contradict again . ' The Butterfly was nearly as frightened as his wife , and Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed so much that it was several minutes before he found breath enough to whisper to the Butterfly , ` Stamp again , little brother . Give me back my Palace , most great magician . ' ` Yes , give him back his Palace , ' said the Butterfly 's Wife , still flying about in the dark like a moth . ` Give him back his Palace , and do n't let 's have any more horrid.magic . ' ` Well , my dear , ' said the Butterfly as bravely as he could , ` you see what your nagging has led to . Of course it does n't make any difference to me -- I 'm used to this kind of thing -- but as a favour to you and to Suleiman-bin-Daoud I do n't mind putting things right . ' So he stamped once more , and that instant the Djinns let down the Palace and the gardens , without even a bump . The sun shone on the dark-green orange leaves ; the fountains played among the pink Egyptian lilies ; the birds went on singing , and the Butterfly 's Wife lay on her side under the camphor-tree waggling her wings and panting , ` Oh , I 'll be good ! I 'll be good ! ' Suleiman-bin-Daolld could hardly speak for laughing . He leaned back all weak and hiccoughy , and shook his finger at the Butterfly and said , ' O great wizard , what is the sense of returning to me my Palace if at the same time you slay me with mirth ! ' Then came a terrible noise , for all the nine hundred and ninety-nine Queens ran out of the Palace shrieking and shouting and calling for their babies . They hurried down the great marble steps below the fountain , one hundred abreast , and the Most Wise Balkis went statelily forward to meet them and said , ` What is your trouble , O Queens ? ' They stood on the marble steps one hundred abreast and shouted , ` What is our trouble ? We were living peacefully in our golden palace , as is our custom , when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared , and we were left sitting in a thick and noisome darkness ; and it thundered , and Djinns and Afrits moved about in the darkness ! That is our trouble , O Head Queen , and we are most extremely troubled on account of that trouble , for it was a troublesome trouble , unlike any trouble we have known . '
Then Balkis the Most Beautiful Queen -- Suleiman-bin-Daoud 's Very Best Beloved -- Queen that was of Sheba and Sable and the Rivers of the Gold of the South -- from the Desert of Zinn to the Towers of Zimbabwe -- Balkis , almost as wise as the Most Wise XXXXX himself , said , ` It is nothing , O Queens !
Butterfly Djinns Queens Suleiman-bin-Daolld Suleiman-bin-Daoud hiccoughy inky-black left right thunder-clap