I was a merchant and kept a shop wherein were Hindi goods of all
kinds and colours, highmost priced articles; and I sold and
bought with much profit. I continued in this condition a while of
time till one day of the days as I, according to my custom, was
sitting in my shop an old woman came up and gave me the good
morning and greeted me with the salam. I returned her salute when
she seated her upon the shopboard and asked me saying, "O master,
hast thou any pieces of choice Indian stuffs?" I replied, "O my
mistress, I have with me whatso thou wantest;" and she rejoined,
"Bring me forth one of them." Accordingly I arose and fetched her
a Hindi piece of the costliest price and placed it in her hands.
She took it and examining it was greatly pleased by its beauty
and presently said to me, "O my lord, for how much is this?" Said
I, "Five hundred dinars;" whereupon she pulled forth her purse
and counted out to me the five hundred gold pieces. Then she took
the stuff and went her ways; and I, O our lord the Sultan, had
sold to her for five hundred sequins a piece of cloth worth at
cost price three hundred and fifty gold pieces. She came to me
again, O my lord, on the next day and asked me for another piece;
so I rose up and brought her the bundle and she paid me once more
five hundred dinars: then she took up her bargain and ganged her
gait. She did the same, O my lord, on the third and the fourth
day and so on to the fifteenth, taking a piece of stuff from me
and paying me regularly five hundred golden pieces for each
bargain. On the sixteenth behold, she entered my shop as was her
wont, but she found not her purse; so she said to me, "O
Khwájah,[FN#73] I have left my purse at home." Said I, "O my
lady, an thou return 'tis well and if not thou art welcome to
it." She sware she would not take it and I, on the other hand,
sware her to carry it off as a token of love and
friendship.[FN#74] Thereupon debate fell between us, and I, O our
lord the Sultan, had made muchel of money by her and, had she
taken two pieces gratis, I would not have asked questions anent
them. At last she cried, "O Khwajah, I have sworn an oath and
thou hast sworn an oath, and we shall never agree except thou
favour me by accompanying me to my house so thou mayest receive
the value of the stuff, when neither of us will have been
forsworn: therefore lock up thy shop lest anything be lost in
thine absence." Accordingly I bolted my door and went with her, O
our lord the Sultan, and we ceased not walking, conversing the
while we walked, I and she, until we neared her abode when she
pulled out a kerchief from her girdle and said, "'Tis my desire
to bind this over thine eyes." Quoth I, "For what cause?" and
quoth she, "For that on our way be sundry houses whose doors are
open and the women are sitting in the vestibules of their homes,
so that haply thy glance may alight upon some one of them,
married or maid, and thy heart become engaged in a love-affair
and thou abide distraught, because in this quarter of the town be
many fair faces, wives and virgins, who would fascinate even a
religious, and therefore we are alarmed for thy peace of mind."
Upon this I said in myself, "By Allah, this old woman is able of
advice;" and I consented to her requirement, when she bound the
kerchief over my eyes and blindfolded me. Then we walked on till
we came to the house she sought; and when she rapped with the
door-ring a slave-girl came out and opening the door let us in.
The old body then approached me and unbound the kerchief from
over my eyes; whereupon I looked around me, holding myself to be
a captive, and I found me in a mansion having sundry separate
apartments in the wings and 'twas richly decorated resembling the
palaces of the Kings.?And Shahrazad perceived 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 com- pared 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 Three Hundred and Forty-ninth 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 youth
pursued:?By Allah, O our lord the Sultan, of that house I never
saw the fellow. She then bade me hide within a room and I did her
bidding in a corner place where beside me I beheld heaped
together and cast down in that private site all the pieces of
stuff which the ancient dame had purchased of me. Seeing this I
marvelled in my mind and lo! appeared two damsels as they were
moons and came down from an upper story till they stood on the
ground-floor; after which they cut a piece of cloth into twain
and each maiden took one and tucked up her sleeves. They then
sprinkled the court of that palace with water of the rose and of
the orange-flower,[FN#75] wiping the surface with the cloth and
rubing it till it became as silver; after which the two girls
retired into an inner room and brought out some fifty
chairs[FN#76] which they set down, and placed over each seat a
rug[FN#77] with cushions of brocade. They then carried in a
larger chair of gold and placed upon it a carpet with cushions of
orfrayed work and after a time they withdrew. Presently, there
descended from the staircase, two following two, a host of
maidens in number till they evened the chairs and each one of
them sat down upon her own, and at last suddenly appeared a young
lady in whose service were ten damsels, and she walked up to and
they seated her upon the great chair. When I beheld her, O my
lord the Sultan, my right senses left me and my wits fled me and
I was astounded at her loveliness and her stature and her
symmetric grace as she swayed to and fro in her pride of beauty
and gladsome spirits amongst those damsels and laughed and
sported with them. At last she cried aloud, "O mother mine!" when
the ancient dame answered her call and she asked her, "Hast thou
brought the young man?" The old woman replied, "Yes, he is
present between thy hands;" and the fair lady said, "Bring him
hither to me!" But when I heard these words I said to myself,
"There is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great! Doubtless when this damsel shall have
discovered my being in such hiding place she will bid them do me
die." The old woman then came forwards to me and led me before
the young lady seated on the great chair; and, when I stood in
her presence, she smiled in my face and saluted me with the salam
and welcomed me; after which she signed for a seat to be brought
and when her bidding was obeyed set it close beside her own. She
then commanded me to sit and I seated me by her side.?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 Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fiftieth 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 youth
pursued:?She seated me beside her, O our lord the Sultan, and
fell to talking and joking with me for an hour or so when she
said, "O youth, what sayest thou of me and of my beauty and my
loveliness? Would Heaven that I could occupy thy thought and
please thee so that I might become to thee wife and thou be to me
man." When I heard these her words I replied, "O my lady, how
dare I presume to attain such honour? Indeed I do not deem myself
worthy to become a slave between thy hands." Hereupon said she,
"Nay, O young man, my words have in them nor evasion nor
alteration; so be not disheartened or fearful of returning me a
reply, for that my heart is fulfilled of thy love." I now
understood, O our lord the Sultan, that the damsel was desirous
of marrying me; but I could not conceive what was the cause
thereof or who could have given her intelligence concerning me.
She continued to enjoy herself in the gladsomest way till at
length I was emboldened to say to her, "O my lady, an thy words
to me be after the fashion of thy will, remember the proverb,
'When a kindness is to be done, this is its time.'" "By Allah, O
youth, there cannot be a more fortunate day than this present."
"O my lady, what shall I apportion to thee for dowry?" "The dowry
hath been paid to me in the value of the stuffs which thou
entrustedst to this ancient dame who is my mother!" "That cannot
suffice." "By Allah, naught shall be added; but, O youth, 'tis my
intention forthright to send after the Kazi and his Assessors
and I will choose me a trustee[FN#78] that they may tie together
us twain without delay; and thou shalt come in to me this coming
evening. But all such things be upon one condition." "And what
may be thy condition?" "This, that thou swear never to address or
to draw near any woman save myself." And I, O our lord the
Sultan, being unmarried and eager to possess so beautiful a
bride, said to her, "This be thine; and I will never contrary
thee by word or by deed." She then sent to summon the Kazi and
his witnesses and appointed an agent; upon which they knotted the
knot. After the marriage ceremony was ended she ordered
coffee[FN#79] and sherbets and gave somewhat of dirhams to the
Kazi and a robe of honour to her trustee; and this done, all went
their several ways. I was lost in astonishment and said in my
mind, "Do I dream or am I on wake?" She then commanded her
damsels to clear the Hammam-bath and cleanse it and fill it
afresh and get ready towels and waist-cloths and silken
napkins[FN#80] and scented woods and essences, as virgin
ambergris and ottars and perfumes of vari-coloured hues and
kinds. And when they had executed her orders, she ordered the
Eunuchry standing in her service to take me and bear me to the
Bath, largessing each one with a sumptuous dress. They led me
into a Hammam which had been made private and I saw a place
tongue is powerless to portray. And as we arrived there they
spread vari-coloured carpets upon which I sat me down and doffed
what clothing was upon me: then I entered the hot rooms and smelt
delicious scents diffused from the sides of the hall,
sandal-wood, Comorin lign-aloes and other such fragrant
substances. Here they came up to me and seated me, lathering me
with perfumed soaps and shampoo'd me till my body became
silver-bright; when they fetched the metal tasses and I washed
with water luke-warm after which they brought me cold water
mingled with rose water and I sprinkled it over me. After this
they supplied me with silken napkins and drying-towels of
palm-fibre[FN#81] wherewith I rubbed me and then repaired to the
cool room outside the calidarium[FN#82] where I found a royal
dress. The Eunuchry arrayed me therein and after fumigating me
with the smoke of lign-aloes served up somewhat of
confections[FN#83] and coffee and sherbets of sundry sorts; so I
drank after eating the Ma'jun. About eventide I left the Baths
with all the Eunuchry in attendance on me and we walked till we
entered the Palace and they led me into a closet spread with
kingly carpets and cushions. And behold, she came up to me
attired in a new habit more sumptuous than that I had seen her
wearing erewhile.?And Shahrazad perceived 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 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 Three Hundred and Fifty-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 the youth
continued:?And I, O our lord the Sultan, went into the closet
and behold, she met me wearing a habit of the most sumptuous: so
when I sighted her she seemed to me from the richness of her
ornaments like an enchanted hoard wherefrom the talisman had been
newly removed. She sat down beside me and bent lovingly over me
and I rose up for I could no longer contain my passion and
wrought that work which was to be worked.[FN#84] Presently she
again disappeared but soon returned in vestments even richer than
the last and she did with me as before and I embraced her once
more. In short, O our lord the Sultan, we ceased not dwelling
together, I and she, in joyaunce and enjoyment, laughter and
disport and delicious converse for a space of twenty days. At the
end of this time I called to mind my lady-mother, and said to the
dame I had espoused, "O my lady, 'tis long since I have been
absent from home and 'tis long since my parent hath seen me or
wotteth aught concerning me: needs must she be pining and
grieving for my sake. So do thou give me leave to visit her and
look after my mother and also after my shop." Quoth she, "No harm
in that: thou mayst visit thy mother daily and busy thyself about
thy shop-business; but this ancient dame (my mother) is she who
must lead thee out and bring thee back." Whereto I replied, "'Tis
well." Upon this the old woman came in and tied a kerchief over
my eyes according to custom and fared forth with me till we
reached the spot where she had been wont to remove the bandage.
Here she unbound it saying, "We will expect thee to-morrow about
noontide and when thou comest to this place, thou shalt see me
awaiting thee." I left her and repaired to my mother whom I found
grieving and weeping at my absence; and upon seeing me she rose
up and threw her arms round my neck with tears of joy. I said,
"Weep not, O my mother, for the cause of my absence hath been a
certain matter which be thus and thus." I then related to her my
adventure and she on hearing it was rejoiced thereby and
exclaimed, "O my son, may Allah give thee gladness; but I pray
thee solace me[FN#85] at least every two days with a visit that
my longing for thee may be satisfied." I replied, "This shall be
done;" and thenceforth, O our lord the Sultan, I went to my shop
and busied myself as was my wont till noontide, when I returned
to the place appointed and found the old woman awaiting me. Nor
did I ever fare forth from the mansion without her binding my
eyes with the kerchief which she loosed only when we reached my
own house; and whenever I asked her of this she would answer, "On
our way be sundry houses whose doors are open and the women
sitting in the vestibules of their homes, so that haply thy
glance may alight upon some one of them, matron or maid: all
sniff up love like water,[FN#86] and we fear for thee lest thy
heart be netted in the net of amours." For thirty days, a whole
month, I continued to go and come after this fashion but, O our
lord the Sultan, at all times and tides I was drowned in thought
and wondered in my mind, saying, "What chance caused me forgather
with this damsel? What made me marry her? Whence this wealth
which is under her hand? How came I to win union with her?" For I
knew not the cause of all this. Now, on a day of the days, I
found an opportunity of being private with one of her black slave
girls[FN#87] and questioned her of all these matters that
concerned her mistress. She replied, "O my lord, the history of
my lady is marvellous; but I dare not relate it to thee in fear
lest she hear thereof and do me die." So I said to her, "By
Allah, O handmaid of good, an thou wilt say me sooth I will veil
it darkly for in the keeping of secrets there is none like
myself: nor will I reveal it at any time." Then I took oath of
secrecy when she said, "O my lord,"?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 Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now
when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-second 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 youth
continued:?Then the handmaiden said to me, "O my lord, my lady
went forth one day of the days to the Hammam with the object of
pleasuring and of diverting herself, for which purpose she made
goodly preparation including gifts and presents,[FN#88] matters
worth a mint of money.[FN#89] After leaving the baths she set out
upon an excursion to eat the noon-day meal in a flower garden
where she enjoyed herself with exceeding joy and enjoyment,
eating and drinking till the evening; and when she designed to
depart she collected the fragments of the feast and distributed
them amongst the mean and the mesquin. On her return she passed
through the Bazar-street wherein standeth thy shop, and it was a
Friday when thou wast sitting, adorned with thy finest dress, in
converse with the nearest neighbour. And suddenly as she fared
by, she beheld thee in such state and her heart was stricken with
sore stroke of love albeit none of us observed her condition and
what affection she had conceived for thee. However, no sooner had
she reached her palace than her melancholy began to grow upon her
with groans and her cark and care, and her colour left her: she
ate and drank little and less and her sleep forsook her and her
frame was sorely enfeebled till at last she took to her bed. Upon
this her mother went to summon a learned man[FN#90] or a
mediciner that he might consider the condition of her daughter
and what sickness had gotten about her: she was absent for an
hour and returned with an ancient dame who took seat beside her
and putting forth her hand felt the patient's pulse. But she
could perceive in her no bodily ailment or pain, upon which the
old woman understood her case, but she durst not bespeak her of
it nor mention to her mother that the girl's heart was distraught
by love. So she said, 'There is no harm to thee! and (Inshallah!)
to-morrow I will return hither to thee and bring with me a
certain medicine.' She then went forth from us and leading the
mother to a place apart, said to her, 'O my lady, Allah upon
thee, pardon me for whatso I shall mention and be thou convinced
that my words are true and keep them secret nor divulge them to
any.' The other replied, 'Say on and fear not for aught which
hath become manifest to thee of my daughter's unweal: haply Allah
will vouchsafe welfare.' She rejoined, 'Verily, thy daughter hath
no bodily disorder or malady of the disease kind but she is in
love and there can be no cure for her save union with her
beloved.' Quoth the mother, 'And how about the coming of her
sweetheart? This is a matter which may not be managed except thou
show us some contrivance whereby to bring this youth hither and
marry him to her. But contrivance is with Allah.' Then the old
lady went her ways forthright and the girl's mother sought her
daughter and said to her after kindly fashion, 'O my child, as
for thee thy disorder is a secret and not a bodily disease. Tell
me of him thou requirest and fear naught from me; belike Allah
will open to us the gate of contrivance whereby thou shalt win
to thy wish.' Now when the maiden heard these words she was
abashed before her parent and kept silence, being ashamed to
speak; nor would she return any reply for the space of twenty
days. But during this term her distraction increased and her
mother ceased not to repeat the same words, time after time, till
it became manifest to the parent that the daughter was madly in
love with a young man; so at last quoth she, 'Describe him to
me.' Quoth the other, 'O mother mine, indeed he is young of years
and fair of favour; also he woneth in such a Bazar, methinks on
its southern side.' Therewith the dame arose without stay or
delay and fared forth to find the young man and 'tis thyself, O
youth! And when the mother saw thee she took from thee a piece of
cloth and brought it to her daughter and promised thou shouldst
visit her. Thence- forwards she ceased not repeating her calls to
thee for the period thou wottest well until by her cunning she
brought thee hither; and that happened which happened and thou
didst take the daughter to wife. Such is her tale and beware lest
thou reveal my disclosure." "No, by Allah," replied I. Then the
lunatic resumed speaking to the Sultan:?O my lord, I continued
to cohabit with her for the space of one month, going daily to
see my mother and to sell in my shop and I returned to my wife
every evening blindfolded and guided as usual by my
mother-in-law. Now one day of the days as I was sitting at my
business, a damsel came into the Bazar-street?And Shahrazad
perceived 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 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 Three Hundred and Fifty-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 youth
continued:?A damsel came into the Bazar-street bearing the image
of a cock made of precious ore and crusted with pearls and rubies
and other gems; and she offered it to the goodmen[FN#91] of the
market for sale. So they opened the biddings at five hundred
dinars and they ceased not contending[FN#92] thereanent till the
price went up to nine hundred and fifty gold pieces. All this
time and I looked on nor did I interfere by speaking a syllable
or by adding to the biddings a single bit of gold. At last, when
none would offer aught more, the girl came up to me and said, "O
my lord, all the gentlemen have increased their biddings for the
cock; but thou hast neither bidden nor heartened my heart by one
kind word." Quoth I, "I have no need thereof;" and quoth she, "By
Allah, needs must thou bid somewhat more than the others." I
replied, "Since there is no help for it, I will add fifty dinars
which will fill up the thousand." She rejoined, "Allah gar thee
gain!"[FN#93] So I fared into my shop to fetch the money, saying
in my mind, "I will present this curiosity to my Harím: haply
'twill pleasure her." But when I was about, O my lord the Sultan,
to count out the thousand ducats, the damsel would not accept
aught of me but said, "I have a request to make of thee, O youth!
to wit, that I may take one kiss from thy cheek." I asked her,
"For what purpose?" and she answered, "I want one kiss of thy
cheek which shall be the price of my cock, for I need of thee
naught else." I thought to myself, "By Allah, a single kiss of my
cheek for the value of a thousand sequins were an easy price;"
and I gave my consent thereto, O my lord. Then she came up to me
and leaned over me and bussed my cheek, but after the kiss she
bit me with a bite which left its mark:[FN#94] then she gave me
the cock and went her ways in haste. Now when it was noon I made
for my wife's house and came upon the old woman awaiting me at
the customed stead and she bound the kerchief over my eyes and
after blindfolding them fared with me till we reached our home
when she unbound it. I found my wife sitting in the saloon
dressed from head to foot in cramoisy[FN#95] and with an ireful
face, whereupon I said to myself, "O Saviour,[FN#96] save me!" I
then went up to her and took out the cock which was covered with
pearls and rubies, thinking that her evil humour would vanish at
the sight of it and said, "O my lady, accept this cock for 'tis
curious and admirable to look upon; and I bought it to pleasure
thee." She put forth her hand and taking it from me examined it
by turning it rightwards and leftwards; then exclaimed, "Didst
thou in very sooth buy this on my account?" Replied I, "By Allah,
O my lady, I bought it for thee at a thousand gold pieces."
Hereupon she shook her head at me, O my lord the Sultan, and
cried out after a long look at my face, "What meaneth that bite
on thy cheek?" Then with a loud and angry voice she called to her
women who came down the stairs forthright bearing the body of a
young girl with the head cut off and set upon the middle of the
corpse;[FN#97] and I looked and behold, it was the head of the
damsel who had sold me the cock for a kiss and who had bitten my
cheek. Now my wife had sent her with the toy by way of trick,
saying to her, "Let us try this youth whom I have wedded and see
if he hold himself bound by his plighted word and pact or if he
be false and foul." But of all this I knew naught. Then she cried
a second cry and behold, up came three handmaids bearing with
them three cocks like that which I had brought for her and she
said, "Thou bringest me this one cock when I have these three
cocks; but inasmuch as, O youth, thou hast broken the covenant
that was between me and thee, I want thee no more: go forth! wend
thy ways forthright!" And she raged at me and cried to her
mother, "Take him away!"[FN#98]?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 Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it
was the next night and that was
The Three 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 the Youth
continued to the King:?Hereupon the old woman, O my lord, hent
me by the hand and bound the kerchief over my eyes as was her
wont and led me to the customed place when she loosed the bandage
saying, "Begone!" and disappeared. But I, O my lord, became like
a madman and ran through the streets as one frantic crying, "Ah
her loveliness! Ah her stature! Ah her perfect grace! Ah her
ornaments!" Hereupon the folk seeing me and hearing me say these
words shouted out, "Yonder is a lunatic;" so they seized me
perforce and jailed me in the madhouse as thou hast seen me, O
our lord the Sultan. They say, "This man is Jinn-mad;" but, by
Allah, I am no maniac, O my lord, and such is my tale. Hereat the
King marvelled and bowed his brow groundwards for a while in deep
thought over this affair: then he raised his head and turning to
his Minister said, "O Wazir, by the truth of Him who made me
ruler of this realm, except thou discover the damsel who married
this youth, thy head shall pay forfeit." The Wazir was consterned
to hear the case of the young man; but he could not disobey the
royal commandment so he said, "Allow me three days of delay, O
our lord the Sultan;" and to this much of grace the King
consented. Then the Wazir craved dismissal and would have taken
the Youth with him; when the Sultan cried, "As soon as thou shalt
have hit upon the house, the young man will go into it and come
forth it like other folk." He replied, "Hearkening and
obedience." So he took the Youth and went out with aching head
and giddy as a drunken man, perplexed and unknowing whither he
should wend; and he threaded the city streets from right to left
and from east to west, tarrying at times that he might privily
question the folk. But naught discovered itself to him and he
made certain of death. In this condition he continued for two
days and the third till noontide, when he devised him a device
and said to the Youth, "Knowest thou the spot where the old woman
was wont to blindfold thine eyes?" He replied, "Yes." So the
Minister walked on with him till the young man exclaimed, "Here,
'tis this!"[FN#99] The Wazir then said, "O Youth, knowest thou
the door-ring wherewith she was wont to rap and canst thou
distinguish its sound?" He said "I can." Accordingly, the Wazir
took him and went the round of all the houses in that quarter and
rapped with every door-ring asking him, "Is't this?" and he would
answer, "No." And the twain ceased not to do after such fashion
until they came to the door where the appointment had taken place
without risk threatened;[FN#100] and the Wazir knocked hard at it
and the Youth, hearing the knock, exclaimed, "O my lord, verily
this be the ring without question or doubt or uncertainty." So
the Minister knocked again with the same knocker and the
slave-girls threw open the door and the Wazir, entering with the
youth, found that the palace belonged to the daughter of the
Sultan who had been succeeded by his liege lord.[FN#101] But when
the Princess saw the Minister together with her spouse, she
adorned herself and came down from the Harem and salam'd to him.
Thereupon he asked her, "What hath been thy business with this
young man?" So she told him her tale from first to last and he
said, "O my lady, the King commandeth that he enter and quit the
premises as before and that he come hither without his eyes being
bandaged with the kerchief." She obeyed and said, "The
commandments of our lord the Sultan shall be carried out." Such
was the history of that youth whom the Sultan heard reading the
Koran in the Máristán, the public madhouse: but as regards the
second Lunatic who sat listening, the Sultan asked him, "And
thou, the other, what be thy tale?" So he began to relate the