The Whorish Wife Who Vaunted Her Virtue

Read The Whorish Wife Who Vaunted Her Virtue, a public-domain fantasy tale from Arabian or Persian storytelling tradition.

By Traditional / Anonymous 29 Aug 2026

Original fantasy cover artwork for The Whorish Wife Who Vaunted Her Virtue

Source and rights: Public-domain text from Project Gutenberg. The story text is preserved from the source edition with layout whitespace normalized for web reading.

It is related that once upon a time there was a man which was an astronomer[FN#396] and he had a wife who was singular in beauty and loveliness. Now she was ever and aye boasting and saying to him, “O man, there is not amongst womankind my peer in nobility[FN#397] and chastity;” and as often as she repeated this saying to him he would give credit to her words and cry, “Wallhi, no man hath a wife like unto the lady my wife for high caste and continence!” Now he was ever singing her praises in every assembly; but one day of the days as he was sitting in a sance of the great, who all were saying their says anent womankind and feminine deeds and misdeeds, the man rose up and exclaimed, “Amongst women there is none like my wife, for that she is pure of blood and behaviour;” hereat one of those present said to him, “Thou liest, O certain person!”–And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that while the man was singing the praises of his spouse one of those present rose and said to him, “Wallhi, thou liest, O certain person!” “Wherein do I lie?” quoth he, and quoth the other, “I will teach thee and show thee manifestly whether thy wife be a lady or a whore. Do thou rise up from amongst us and hie thee home and go thou in to her and say, ‘O woman, I am intent upon travelling to a certain place and being absent for a matter of four days and after will return; so do thou arise, O woman, and bring me some bread and a mould of cheese by way of viaticum.’ Then go thou forth from beside her and disappear for a while; and presently returning home hide thee in a private place without uttering a word.” Cried those present, “By Allah, indeed these words may not be blamed.” Accordingly, the man went forth from them and fared till he entered his house where he said, “O woman, bring me something of provision for a journey: my design is to travel and to be absent for a space of four days or haply six.” Cried the wife, “O my lord, thou art about to desolate me nor can I on any wise bear parting from thee; and if thou needs must journey do thou take me with thee.” Now when the man heard these the words of his wife he said to himself, “By Allah, there cannot be the fellow of my spouse amongst the sum of womankind,” presently adding to her, “I shall be away from four to six days but do thou keep watch and ward upon thyself and open not my door to anyone at all.” Quoth she, “O Man, how canst thou quit me?[FN#398] and indeed I cannot suffer such separation.” Quoth he, “I shall not long be separated from thee;” and so saying he fared forth from her and disappeared for the space of an hour, after which he returned home softly walking and hid himself in a place where none could see him. Now after the space of two hours behold, a Costermonger[FN#399] came into the house and she met him and salam’d to him and said, “What hast thou brought for me?” “Two lengths of sugar-cane,” said he, and said she, “Set them down in a corner of the room.” Then he asked her, “Whither is thy husband gone?” and she answered, “On a journey: may Allah never bring him back nor write his name among the saved and our Lord deliver me from him as soon as possible!” After this she embraced him and he embraced her and she kissed him and he kissed her and enjoyed her favours till such time as he had his will of her; after which he went his ways. When an hour had passed a Poulterer[FN#400] came to the house, whereupon she arose and salam’d to him and said, “What hast thou brought me?” He answered, “A pair of pigeon-poults;” so she cried, “Place them under yon vessel."[FN#401] Then the man went up to the woman and he embraced her and she embraced him and he tumbled[FN#402] her and she tumbled him; after which he had his will of her and presently he went off about his own business. When two hours or so had gone by there came to her another man which was a Gardener;[FN#403] so she arose and met him with a meeting still fairer than the first two and asked him, “What hast thou brought with thee?” “A somewhat of pomegranates,” answered he; so she took them from him and led him to a secret place where she left him and changed her dress and adorned herself and perfumed herself and Kohl’d[FN#404] her eyes. After that she returned to the pomegranate-man and fell a-toying with him and he toyed with her and she hugged him and he hugged her and at last he rogered and had his wicked will of her and went his ways. Hereupon the woman doffed her sumptuous dress and garbed herself in her everyday garment. All this and the husband was looking on through the chinks of the door behind which he was lurking and listening to whatso befel, and when all was ended he went forth softly and waited awhile and anon returned home. Hereupon the wife arose and her glance falling upon her husband she noted him and accosted him and salam’d to him and said, “Hast thou not been absent at all?” Said he, “O Woman, there befel me a tale on the way which may not be written on any wise, save with foul water upon disks of dung,[FN#405] and indeed I have endured sore toil and travail, and had not Allah (be He praised and exalted!) saved me therefrom, I had never returned.” Quoth his wife, “What hath befallen thee?”–And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent, and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,

CLEBS THE DROLL AND HIS WIFE AND HER FOUR LOVERS.

There lived at the Court of a certain King a man wherewith he was wont to jest and this droll was unmated. So one day of the days the Sultan said to him, “O Man, thou art a bachelor, so suffer us to marry thee,” and said the buffoon, “No, O King of the Age; allow me to remain in single blessedness, for in womankind there is no rest and they work many a wile, and indeed I fear lest haply we fall upon one who shall be of the fornicatresses, the adulteresses.” Quoth the King, “There is no help but that thou wed;” and quoth the Droll, “‘Tis well, O King of the Age.” Hereupon the Sultan sent to summon the Wazir and bade him betroth the man to a woman of righteous conduct and come of decent folk. Now the Minister had with him an old nurse, and he commanded her to find a match for the Sultan’s Jester; whereupon she rose and went out from him and engaged for the man a beautiful woman. And presently the marriage-tie was tied between these twain and he went in unto the bride and she tarried with him a while of time even half a year or may be seven months. Now one day of the days the King’s Jester went forth his house ere the dawn-prayer had been called on some business for the Sultan, intending to return before rise of sun. Such was the case with him; but as regards his wife, she had known when yet unmarried four men who to her were the liefest of her companions and who, during the earlier days of her wedding, had not been able to possess her. However, on the morning when her husband fared forth from her before the call to dawn-prayers, each and every of these four favoured lovers made up their minds to visit their playmate. Now one of them was a Pieman[FN#409] and the second was an Herbalist[FN#410], the third was a Flesher and the fourth was the Shaykh of the Pipers[FN#411]. When the Droll went forth from his wife behold, the Pieman came and rapped at the door, whereat she opened to him and said, “Thou hast come betimes,” and said he, “I have minced the meat and I desired to work it up when I found that the hour was too early and that no one was in the market. So I said to myself, ‘Up with thee and go to Such-and-such a woman.’” “‘Tis well,” quoth she; but when they desired to make merry together, of a sudden the door was knocked; so quoth he to her, “Who is this?” and quoth she to him, “I know not, but do thou hie and hide thee in yonder closet.” He did her bidding, whereupon she went forth and threw open the door when behold, it was the Herbalist and she said to him, “This is a time betimes.” Said he, “By Allah, I was nighting in the garden and I have brought these sweet-scented herbs, and as the hour was over-early I said to myself, ‘Go thou to Such-and-such a woman and make merry, thou and she, for a wee.’” So she let him in; but hardly had he settled himself in his seat when suddenly the door was again rapped and he asked her, “Who is this?” and she answered, “I know not, but do thou hie and hide thee in yonder closet.” So he went in and found the Pieman there seated and said to him, “What thing mayest thou be?"[FN#412] and said the other, “I and thou are each like other.” Meanwhile the woman had gone forth and opened the door when behold, she was met by the Flesher whom she led within and then said to him, “This is a time betimes.” Quoth he, “By Allah, I arose from sleep and slaughtered a ram[FN#413] and prepared the flesh for selling when I found that the hour was over-early and said I to myself, ‘Take thee a piece of mutton-flesh and go thou in to a certain person and enjoy yourselves, thou and she, until the Bazar shall have opened.’” But hardly had he taken seat when came a fourth knock at the door, and as he heard this he was wonderstruck; so she said to him, “Fear not, but hie thee and hide thee within yonder closet.” Accordingly he went in and found the Pieman and the Herbalist there sitting and he salam’d to the twain who returned his salute; then he asked them, “What hath brought you hither?” and they answered, “That which brought us brought also thee.” He took seat with them while the woman went and threw open the door and behold, she was met by her friend the Shaykh of the Pipers belonging to the Sultan, so she brought him in and said to him, “Indeed thy time is betimes.” Said he, “Wallhi, I went forth my home intending to fare and prepare the band[FN#414] in the Royal Palace when I found the hour was over-early, so said I to myself, ‘Hie thee to a certain person and make ye merry, thou and she, until the sun shall rise and thou art bound to wend palacewards.’” “‘Tis well,” quoth she and seated him and designed to take seat beside him when behold, came a rap at the door and he cried, “Who is that?” and she replied, “Allah only is Omniscient, but haply ’tis my husband.” So he was startled and afeard, and when she whispered to him, “Up and enter yon closet,” he did her bidding and found a-facing him therein the Pieman and the Herbalist and the Flesher to whom he said, “Peace be upon you,” and when they returned his greeting he asked them, “Ye, who brought you?” They answered him saying, “That which brought us also brought thee.” After this he sat beside them and the four remained seated in the closet and huddled together, whilst each addressed himself saying, “What now wilt thou do?” Meanwhile the woman suddenly went forth and opened the door when behold, it was her mate the Droll who walked in and took seat; whereupon she asked him, “And thou, why hast thou come at such an hour? ’tis not often thy wont to return early from the King’s presence. Haply thou art unwell, for thy custom is not to appear until near supper-tide and now thou hast forestalled our meeting-time and hast returned a-morn. I suspect that he hath bespoken thee concerning some matter of urgent matters that thou comest home at this hour; but haply thou wilt finish off such business and hie thee back to the Sultan.” Quoth he, “By Allah, O Woman, when I fared forth hence and went to the King I found that he had many and important affairs to settle, so he said, ‘Hie thee to thy home and abide therein, nor return to me till after the third day.’”–And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent, and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale, that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that when the King’s Jester went in to his wife she said, “Thou, wherefore hast thou come so early?” and said he, “By Allah, the Sultan hath much and important business and said to me, ‘Hie thee home, and tarry there and return not to me save after the third day.’” Now when the four men who were closeted together heard these words they were perplext as to their affair, and said one to other, “What shall we do? Indeed we are unable to sit out three days in this stead.” Hereupon the Pieman said to them, “Nay, rather let us play a prank whereby we may escape,” and said they, “What may be the device thou wouldest devise?” Quoth he, “Whatso I do that do ye look upon and then act in like guise,” and so speaking he arose and taking his minced meat fell to sticking it upon his skin until he was like a leper covered with sores.[FN#415] Then he went forth the closet to the husband of the mistress, and cried, “The Peace be upon you!” The man returned his salute and asked him, “What art thou?” to which he made answer, “I am the Prophet Job the Ulcered, where is the way out of this?” “Here,” cried the Jester, upon which Job passed out of the door and went about his business and on such wise made his escape. Next the Herbalist stood up and opening his basket brought out fragrant herbs and fell to scattering them over his sconce and about it and over his ears,[FN#416] till such time as all his face was hidden in greens, after which he also went out and accosting the house-master said, “The Peace be upon you!” And when the man returned the salam he asked him, “Hath Job the Ulcered passed by thee on this path?” “Indeed he hath,” said the other; “but what mayst thou be?” “I am Al-Khizr, the Green Prophet” (upon whom be The Peace),[FN#417] and so saying he brushed by the Droll and passed through the door. Now when the second lover had gone forth and escaped, the Flesher arose and donning the ram’s skin set its horns upon his head and began crawling out of the closet upon all fours, hands and knees, until he stood before the husband of his beloved, and said to him, “The Peace be upon you!” “And upon you be The Peace,” returned the other, “What mayst thou be?” “I am Iskandar, Lord of the Two Horns,” cried the other; “say me, have there passed by thee Job the Ulcered and Al-Khizr the Green Prophet (upon whom be The Peace)?” Quoth the house-master, “They went by this place and forewent thee.” So the third lover passed through the doorway and escaped, and presently the Shaykh of the Pipers rose to his feet and applying the mouthpiece of his pipe to his lips went up to his mistress’s mate and said, “The Peace be upon you!” and on the man returning his salam, asked him, “Hath it so happened that Job the Ulcered and Al-Khizr the Green Prophet and Iskandar Lord of the Two Horns passed this way?” “They have,” answered the other, “What art thou?” Cried he, “I am Isrfl,[FN#418] and ’tis my design forthright to blow the Last Trump.” Hereupon the Droll straightway arose and laid hands upon him crying, “Yllah, Yllah,[FN#419] O my brother, blow not at all until we shall have gone, I and thou, to the Sultan.” So saying he took him by the hand and fared forth with him and ceased not faring until he had carried him into the presence, when the King asked, “Wherefore hast thou arrested this man?” Answered he, “O King of the Age, this is our Lord Israfil and ’twas his intent to blow the Last Trump, so I forbade him therefrom until such time as I had brought him for thee to look upon, lest haply he might so have done without thy knowledge, and said I to myself, ‘By Allah, better set him before the Sultan ere he sound his Trumpet.’ Furthermore I do pray for thy welfare, O King of the Age, inasmuch as thou hast married me to this dame because I had fear of her lest she company with strange men. But I found her a saintly woman who admitted none of mankind save that to-day when I went forth from thee at morning-tide I turned me homewards and going into my house caught with her three Prophets and one Archangel and this is he who intended to blow the Last Trump.” Hereupon quoth the Sultan to him, “O Man, art thou Jinn-mad? How canst thou have found with thy spouse any of the Prophets as thou sayest?” And quoth he, “By Allah, O King of the Age, whatso hath befallen me that I have reported to thee nor have I hidden from thee aught.” The King asked, “Which was he of the Prophets thou foundest beside thy wife?” and he answered, “The Prophet Job (on whom be The Peace) and after him came forth to me from a closet the Prophet Al-Khizr (on whom be the Peace!), and after him Iskandar Lord of the Two Horns (on whom be the Peace!) and lastly this the fourth is the Archangel Israfil.” The Sultan marvelled at his words, and exclaimed, “Laud to the Lord! Verily this man whom thou entitlest Israfil is naught but the Shaykh of my Pipers.” “I wist naught, O King of the Age,” said the other, “but I have related to thee what hath occurred and what I beheld and eyewitnessed.” Hereupon the Sultan understood that the wife had friends who forgathered with her, and who had served her husband with such sleight, so he said to the musician, “O man, unless thou tell me truly what happened I will cut off thy head.” Thereupon the Shaykh of the Pipers arose, and kissing ground before the Sultan, said to him, “O King of the Age, give me promise of immunity and I will relate to thee all that befel.” Quoth the King, “‘Tis upon condition that thou tell no lies;” and quoth the other, “O King of the Age, verily, I will shun leasing."[FN#420] So the King gave him a pledge of safety, and the Shaykh described everything that had been done and kept nothing back, and when the King heard the story and the trick which had been wrought by the woman’s friends he marvelled thereat and cried, “Allah kill all womankind,[FN#421] the fornicatresses, the adulteresses, the traitresses!” After which he despatched a posse of the Chamberlains to bring into his presence the four persons.–And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Sixtieth Night,

I have also by me (said Shahrazad) another tale concerning the wiles of womankind, and it is that of

THE GATE-KEEPER OF CAIRO AND THE CUNNING SHE-THIEF.[FN#423]

It is related that in Misr of Khir there was a man who had reached the age of fourscore and ten years, and he was a chief-watchman of the ward in the service of the Wli; a brave man withal, and one not wont to be startled or afeard. Now one night as he was going around about the city with the Chief of Police, and he was returning to the guard-house[FN#424] before break o’ day that he might perform the Wuz-ablution, and at the call to dawn-prayers he might rise and repeat them, it so fortuned that when he was about to stand up to his orisons, according to the custom of him, suddenly a purse fell before him upon the ground. As soon as he had done with his devotions he arose and gazed around to see who had thrown him that bag of money, but he could find nobody; so he took it up and opened it, when an hundred dinars met his sight. Hereat he wondered; but on the following day when he had washed and was praying, behold, a second purse was cast at his feet; so he waited until he had finished his orisons and then stood up and looked around to see who had thrown it. Thereupon, as he failed to find any, he took it up and opened it and again beheld an hundred dinars, a matter which filled him with wonder. This continued till the third day at morning-tide, when he had washed as was his wont and stood up to his prayers, and lo and behold! another purse was dropped at his feet. Herewith he cut short his devotions, and turning him round saw beside him a girl whose years had reached fifteen; so he seized her and said, “Who art thou, and what is the reason of thy throwing at my feet every day a purse of an hundred gold pieces, and this is the third time; argal the sum amounteth to three hundred. What may be this case?” Said she, “O my lord, my name is Ftimah, and my wish and will is a matter which thou canst bring to an end for me by means of thy tongue!” Quoth he, “What is’t thou wantest of me?” and quoth she, “‘Tis my intent that on the morrow I sham drunkenness with wine and cast myself before the mansion of the Kazi of the Army.[FN#425] Thou shalt find me there strown upon the ground and dressed in all the best of my clothes and finest ornaments. So when thou shalt come to that quarter and espy me lying there in drink do thou bid the Linkman move the links to and fro; then come forward, O Mukaddam,[FN#426] and investigate the case and examine me, and say the Wali, ‘This girl is in liquor.’ The Chief of Police shall reply to thee, ‘Take her and carry her to the watch-house and keep her there till day-break.’”–And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day, and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night, and that was

The Seven Hundred and Sixty-first Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that quoth the girl to the Mukaddam, “And when thou shalt have found me drunken with wine, the Wali shall bid thee, ‘Take her to the watch-house and there keep her till daybreak.’ Hereto do thou object, ‘No! this were not suitable: I will cry upon someone of the quarter and will awake the Kazi of the Army, for that she belongeth to his ward.’ Then assemble all thy folk and say to them, ‘Verily this girl is in liquor and not mistress of herself at such time; needs must she be of a great family and daughter to grandees; therefore ’twere not proper that we take her with us to the watch-house; nor let any hold her in his charge save the Kazi of the Army till morning and until such time as she shall have recovered her senses and can fare to her own folk.’” Hereupon quoth the Mukaddam to her, “Easy enough!” and quoth she, “An thou act on this wise and my success be from thy hand, I will give thee five hundred dinars besides the three hundred.” “This matter is not far to us,"[FN#427] said he; so she left him and went away. Now when it was the season after night-prayers, the Chief of Police came forth his quarters and, repairing to the watch-house and taking the Mukaddam and his men, would have threaded the highways of Cairo as was his wont, but the head Gate-Keeper forewent him and took the direction of the quarter wherein dwelt the Kazi of the Army; the Wali unknowing the while what was in the man’s thought. They ceased not faring until they entered that part of the town wherein stood the Judge’s house, and when they approached it, lo and behold! the Mukaddam found a something strown upon the ground. So said he to the Linkman who carried the light, “O my son, do thou shake the torch,” and when he moved the link to and fro it illumined the whole quarter. Then the Gate-Keeper came forward; and, looking at what was lying there, found it to be a damsel in liquor dressed out with sumptuous dress and adorned with all her ornaments: so he said to the Wali, “O my Chief,[FN#428] this girl is drunken with wine and hath fallen on the ground;” and said the Chief of Police, “Take her up and carry her to the watch-house until morning.” Hereupon quoth the Mukaddam, “No! this were not fitting; nor is it possible for the like of this girl. She is in the ward of the Kazi al-‘Askar, to whose household haply she belongeth or to some great man in the quarter, and we fear lest befal her of evil matters some matter and we shall come to be transgressors.” Hereupon, after applying some remedy to the damsel, they made her sit up and presently they called aloud upon the people of the quarter and awoke the Judge and when all the folk came out in a body the Wali said to them, “Look ye upon this girl; peradventure you may know whose daughter she is.” They came forward and examined her and found her garbed in sumptuous garments and trickt out with the whole of her ornaments, whereupon the Chief of Police and the Mukaddam of the Watchmen said to them, “Indeed ’tis not possible for us to remove yon maiden from this place; so do you take her to your homes until morning-tide when she shall recover and be able to care for herself and then fare to her own folk.” Hereat they made agreement that none should lodge her in his house save the Kazi of the Army; so a party of the servants raised her and led her to his mansion and set her in a chamber hard by the open saloon; after which each and every of them fared forth to sleep in his own place. On this wise it befel the Wali and the Mukaddam and the Kazi and the folk of the ward; but as regards the affair of the damsel whom they found stretched on the ground as one drunken, she on entering the Kazi’s abode pulled herself together and recovered herself, for that she had wrought all this wily work for the special purpose of being led into the house there to carry out her wish and will. Presently the Judge lay down and was drowned in slumber and knew not what Allah had destined to him from the plans and projects of the girl who, rising up at midnight, opened the door of her chamber leading into the saloon where the Kazi al-‘Askar kept all his hoards and coin[FN#429] and dresses and belongings. Now she had appointed her people to meet her at that house, so they came and carried off the whole of what was in the saloon nor did they leave aught therein, at all, at all, save only the matting. And when dawned the morn, the Kazi of the Army arose and repaired to the saloon, as was his wont, for the purpose of dressing, but he found therein nothing except the matting. So he buffeted his face with his palms and wailed aloud whereat a party of his servants came to him and asked, “What is the matter with thee, O our lord the Kazi?” then, on going into the saloon they remarked that it had been gutted of everything. So they went from him and threw open the door of the chamber wherein they had placed the damsel but they found her nowhere.–And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Sixty-third Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Kazi’s folk went and threw open the door of the chamber wherein the damsel had slept; and, when they found nothing therein, they were certified it was she who had carried away the goods. After such fashion it happened to these; but as regards the action of the Judge, he took horse and wended his way to the Sultan, and he ceased not wending till he had entered the presence and salam’d and blessed the Sovran who returned his salute. Then cried he, “O King of the Age, there hath befallen me that which is so-and-so, and I have a claim on the Chief of Police and the Mukaddam of the watch, for that indeed they were the men who bade me admit the girl into my home, and this guest of mine hath left me nor muchel nor little.” Hereupon the King bade summon the men with their many, and when they came before him, he bade strike off the heads of the two head men; but they said to him, “O King of the Age, grant us three days’ respite and, if aught discover itself to us and we rid ourselves of the responsibility, we shall be saved; but an we avail not thereto, the sword of the Sultan is long.” “Go forth,” cried the King; “I have granted you a three days’ delay; if you bring the offender ’tis well, and if not, your heads shall be in lieu thereof and eke so your families and your properties.” Hearing this they sued for dismissal, and the Wali went forth to search in this way and wander in one direction and the Mukaddam in another. They roamed about Cairo for two full-told days, but naught happened to them until the third about the call to noontide-prayers, when the Mukaddam entered a narrow street on the side of the city to the west, and behold, a door opened and a speaker spake saying, “O Mukaddam, who is behind the door?” So he turned towards the sound and said, “‘Tis well,” and the other cried, “Come thou and draw near to me.” He did so and approached the entrance when suddenly he saw the damsel who had shammed drunkenness[FN#430] and whom they had introduced into the Kazi al-‘Askar’s house. Now when he accosted her and recognised her, he seized her and she asked him, “Wherefore dost thou arrest me and what is thine intent to do with me?” “We will carry thee to the Sultan,” answered he, “and I and the Wali shall be set free. During the last three days I have done nothing but wander about in search of thee who hast wrought for us such work and after hast fled from us.” Quoth the girl, “O clever one, had I designed the ruin of you I had never made myself manifest to thee, nor couldst thou have met me or forgathered with me: however, I will now work at freeing you from the hands of the Sultan, that both thou and the Wali may escape and that you twain may take from the Judge of the Army whatever of good you want and will.” Quoth he, “How shall we do?” and quoth she, “I have by me a white slave-girl the very likeness of myself and at this time I have dressed her in my dresses and decorations and have cut her throat, and by my cleverness and force of heart I have caused her to be carried to a ruin hard by the Kazi’s house and have had her buried therein and have set over her a slab. So do thou fare hence and taking the Wali seek the Sultan and say him, ‘We have wandered about Misr, the whole thereof, but we have found naught of our want, and now nothing remaineth to us save the house of the Kazi al-‘Askar; so we desire to search therein and, if we find that damsel murthered, we will gather together the folk of the quarter who saw us before that they may look upon her; and be the Judge also standing by that we may ask the people, ‘What say ye concerning this maiden?’ when haply they may reply, ‘This is the girl which was drunken with wine.’ And as soon as they shall bear witness that it is the same, you twain shall stay behind to converse with the Judge as ye desire and take from him whatever you wish and will; and he shall sue you for grace and for aidance. Then will he go up to the King and report to him saying, ‘I have found my debtor and I have recovered from him all my good;’ whereupon you shall be set free and eke I shall be freed. And finally do ye come hither to me and we will divide all the plunder I have taken from the Kazi’s house.” Now when the damsel had made the old Watchman understand these words, he left her, and going to the Wali, informed him of the whole affair and reported all that the girl had communicated to him of treachery and plottings, whereupon the Chief of Police took horse, and accompanied by the Mukaddam, rode to the Palace,–And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,

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