As for King Shahryar, he wondered at Shahrazad with the utmost wonder
and drew her near to his heart of his abounding affection for her; and
she was magnified in his eyes and he said within himself, “By Allah, the
like of this is not deserving of slaughter, for indeed the time
favoureth us not with her equal. By the Almighty, I have been reckless
of mine affair, and had not the Lord overcome me with His ruth and put
this one at my service so she might recount to me instances manifest and
cases truthful and admonitions goodly and traits edifying, such as
should restore me to the right road, I had come to ruin! Wherefore to
Allah be the praise herefor and I beseech the Most High to make my end
with her like that of the Wazir and Shah Bakht.” Then sleep overcame the
king and glory be unto Him who sleepeth not![562] When it was the Nine
hundred and thirtieth Night, Shahrazad said, “O king, there is present
in my thought a tale which treateth of women’s trickery and wherein is a
warning to whoso will be warned and an admonishment to whoso will be
admonished and whoso hath sight and insight; but I fear lest the hearing
of this belittle me with the liege-lord and lower my degree in his
esteem; yet I hope that this will not be, because ’tis a rare tale.
Women are indeed mischief-makers; their craft and their cunning may not
be told nor may their wiles be known; while men enjoy their company and
are not instant to uphold them in the right way, neither are they
vigilant over them with all vigilance, but relish their society and take
whatso is winsome and regard not that which is other than this. Indeed,
they are like unto the crooked rib, which an thou go about to
straighten, thou distortest it, and which an thou persist in
straightening, thou breakest it;[563] so it behoveth the wise man to be
silent concerning them.” Thereupon quoth Dinarzad, “O sister mine, bring
forth that which is with thee and that which is present to thy mind of
the story concerning the guile of women and their wiles, and have no
fear lest this lessen thee with the king; for that women are, like
jewels, of all kinds and colours. When a gem falleth into the hand of an
expert, he keepeth it for himself and leaveth all beside it. Eke he
preferreth some of them over others, and in this he is like the
potter,[564] who filleth his kiln with all the vessels he hath moulded
and under them kindleth his fire. When the baking is done and he taketh
out that which is in the kiln, he findeth no help for it but that he
must break some of them, whilst others are what the folk need and
whereof they make use, while yet others there are which return to be as
they were. So fear thou not nor deem it a grave matter to adduce that
which thou knowest of the craft of women, for that in this is profit for
all folk.” Then said Shahrazad, “They relate, O king (but Allah alone
knoweth the secret things) the Tale of—