But Suleiman-bin-Daoud shook his head and said , ' O my Lady and Delight of my Life , remember the Animal that came out of the sea and made me ashamed before all the animals in all the world because I showed off . Now , if I showed off before these Queens of Persia and Egypt and Abyssinia and China , merely because they worry me , I might be made even more ashamed than I have been . ' And Balkis the Most Beautiful said , ' O my Lord and Treasure of my Soul , what will you do ? ' And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said , ' O my Lady and Content of my Heart , I shall continue to endure my fate at the hands of these nine hundred and ninety-nine Queens who vex me with their continual quarrelling . ' So he went on between the lilies and the loquats and the roses and the cannas and the heavy-scented ginger-plants that grew in the garden , till he came to the great camphor-tree that was called the Camphor Tree of Suleiman-bin-Daoud . But Balkis hid among the tall irises and the spotted bamboos and the red lillies behind the camphor-tree , so as to be near her own true love , Suleiman-bin-Daoud . Presently two Butterflies flew under the tree , quarrelling . Suleiman-bin-Daoud heard one say to the other , ' I wonder at your presumption in talking like this to me . Do n't you know that if I stamped with my foot all Suleiman-bin-Daoud 's Palace and this garden here would immediately vanish in a clap of thunder . ' Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud forgot his nine hundred and ninety-nine bothersome wives , and laughed , till the camphor-tree shook , at the Butterfly 's boast . And he held out his finger and said , ` Little man , come here . ' The Butterfly was dreadfully frightened , but he managed to fly up to the hand of Suleiman-bin-Daoud , and clung there , fanning himself . Suleiman-bin-Daoud bent his head and whispered very softly , ` Little man , you know that all your stamping would n't bend one blade of grass . What made you tell that awful fib to your wife ? -- for doubtless she is your wife . ' The Butterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud and saw the most wise King 's eye twinkle like stars on a frosty night , and he picked up his courage with both wings , and he put his head on one side and said , ' O King , live for ever . She is my wife ; and you know what wives are like . Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in his beard and said , ` Yes , I know , little brother . ` One must keep them in order somehow , said the Butterfly , and she has been quarrelling with me all the morning . I said that to quiet her . '
And XXXXX said , ` May it quiet her .
Balkis Butterflies Egypt Queens Suleiman-bin-Daoud camphor-tree cannas fib lillies morning