It reached the ears of a certain pious man that there abode in such a town a blacksmith, who could put his hand into the fire and pull out the iron red hot, without the flames doing him anything of hurt. So he set out for the town in question and asked for the blacksmith; and, when the man was shown to him, he watched him at work and saw him do as had been reported to him. He waited till he had made an end of his day's work; then, going up to him, saluted him with the salam and said, "I would be your guest this night." Replied the smith, "With gladness and goodly greer" and carried him to his place, where they supped together and lay down to sleep. The guest watched, but saw no sign in his host of praying through the night or of special devoutness and said in his mind, "Perhaps he hides himself from me." So he lodged with him a second and a third night, but found that he did not exceed the devotions prescribed by the law and custom of the Prophet and rose but little in the dark hours to pray. At last he said to him, "O my brother, I have heard of the gift with which Allah has favoured you and have seen the truth of it with my eyes. Moreover, I have taken note of yours assiduity in religious exercises, but find in you no such piety as distinguishes those who work saintly miracles: from where, then, comes this to you?" "I will you," answered the smith, "Know that I was once passionately enamoured of a slave girl and ofttimes sued her for love liesse, but could not prevail upon her, because she still held fast by her chastity. Presently, there came a year of drought and hunger and hardship; food failed and there befell a sore famine. As I was sitting one day at home, somebody knocked at the door; so I went out and behold, she was standing there; and she said to me, 'O my brother, I am sorely an hungered and I lift my eyes to you beseeching you to feed me for Allah's sake!' I, said, 'Wottest you not how I love you and what I have suffered for your sake? Now I will not give you one bittock of bread except you yield your person to me.'

She said, 'Death, but not disobedience to the Lord!' Then she went away and returned after two days with the same prayer for food as before. I made her a like answer, and she entered and sat down in my house being almost death. I set food before her, whereupon her eyes brimmed with tears and she cried, 'Give me meat for the love of Allah, to whom belong Honour and Glory!' But I answered, 'Not so, By God, except you yield yourself to me.' She said, 'Better is death to me than the wrath and wreak of Allah the Most Highest;' and she rose and left the food untouched"—

When it was the Four Hundred and Seventy second night

When it was the Four Hundred and Seventy third night

And the tongue of the case extemporised and spoke on this theme,

She prayed the Lord of grace her prayer obeyed; And spared the sin her, who for sin had prayed: He showed her all she prayed Him to grant; And Death (as prayed she) her portion made:

Unto his door she came and prayed for food, And sued his ruth for what her misery made: He leant to error following his lusts, And hoped to enjoy her as he wants persuade But he knew little of what Allah willed; Nor was Repentance, though unsought, denayed. Fate comes to him who flies from Fate, O Lord, And lot and daily bread by You are weighed."

And they also tell of