One day of the days, as I stood at the door of my house, and the
heat was excessive, behold, I saw a fair woman approaching, and
with her a slave-girl carrying a parcel. They gave not over
going till they came up to me, when the woman stopped and asked
me, "Hast thou a draught of water?" answered I, "Yes, enter the
vestibule, O my lady, so thou mayst drink." Accordingly she
came in and I went up into the house and fetched two gugglets of
earthenware, smoked with musk[FN#464] and full of cold water.
She took one of them and discovered her face, the better to
drink; whereupon I saw that she was as the rising moon or the
resplendent sun and said to her, "O my lady, wilt thou not come
up into the house, so thou mayst rest thyself till the air cool
and afterwards fare thee to thine own place?" quoth she, "Is
there none with thee?" and quoth I, "Indeed I am a bachelor and
have none belonging to me, nor is there a wight in the
site;[FN#465] whereupon she said, "An thou be a stranger, thou
art he in quest of whom I was going about." So she went up into
the house and doffed her walking dress and I found her as she
were the full moon. I brought her what I had by me of food and
drink and said to her, "O my lady, excuse me: this is all that is
ready;" and said she, "This is right good[FN#466] and indeed 'tis
what I sought." Then she ate and gave the slave-girl that which
was left; after which I brought her a casting-bottle of musked
rose-water, and she washed her hands and abode with me till the
season of mid-afternoon prayer, when she brought out of the
parcel she had with her a shirt and trousers and an upper
garment[FN#467] and a gold-worked kerchief and gave them to me;
saying, "Know that I am one of the concubines of the Caliph, and
we be forty concubines, each of whom hath a cicisbeo who cometh
to her as often as she would have him; and none is without a
lover save myself, wherefore I came forth this day to get me a
gallant and now I have found thee. Thou must know that the
Caliph lieth each night with one of us, whilst the other nine-
and-thirty concubines take their ease with the nine-and-thirty
masculines, and I would have thee company with me on such a day, when do
thou come up to the palace of the Caliph and sit awaiting me in
such a place, till a little eunuch come out to thee and say to
thee a certain watch-word which is, 'Art thou Sandal?' Answer
'Yes,' and wend thee with him." Then she took leave of me and I
of her, after I had strained her to my bosom and thrown my arms
round her neck and we had exchanged kisses awhile. So she fared
forth and I abode patiently expecting the appointed day, till it
came, when I arose and went out, intending for the trysting-place; but a friend of mine met me by the way and made me go home
with him. I accompanied him and when I came up into his sitting-
chamber he locked the door on me and walked out to fetch what we
might eat and drink. He was absent until midday, then till the
hour of mid-afternoon prayer, whereat I was chagrined with sore
concern. Then he was missing until sundown, and I was like to
die of vexation and impatience; and indeed he returned not and I
passed my night on wake, nigh upon death, for the door was locked
on me, and my soul was like to depart my body on account of the
assignation. At daybreak, my friend returned and opening the
door, came in, bringing with him meat-pudding[FN#468] and
fritters and bees' honey, and said to me, "By Allah, thou must
needs excuse me, for that I was with a company and they locked
the door on me and have let me go but this very moment." I
returned him no reply; however, he set before me that which was
with him and I ate a single mouthful and went out running at
speed so haply I might overtake the rendezvous which had escaped
me. When I came to the palace, I saw over against it eight-and-
thirty gibbets set up, whereon were eight-and-thirty men
crucified, and under them eight-and-thirty[FN#469] concubines as
they were moons. So I asked the cause of the crucifixion of the
men and concerning the women in question, and it was said unto
me, "The men thou seest crucified the Caliph found with yonder
damsels, who be his bed-fellows." When I heard this, I
prostrated myself in thanksgiving to Allah and said, "The
Almighty require thee with all good, O my friend!" For had he
not invited me and locked me up in his house that night, I had
been crucified with these men, wherefore Alhamdolillah--laud to
the Lord! "On this wise" (continued Shahrazad), "none is safe
from the calamities of the world and the vicissitudes of Time,
and in proof of this, I will relate unto thee yet another story
still rarer and stranger than this. Know, O king, that one said
to me: A friend of mine, a merchant, told me the following tale of