A Certain man loved a beautiful and lovely woman, a model of charms and grace, married to a man whom she loved and who loved her. Moreover, she was virtuous and chaste, like unto me, and her rake of a lover found no way to her; so when his patience was at an end, he devised a device to win his will. Now the husband had a young man, whom he had brought up in his house and who was in high trust with him as his steward. So the rake addressed himself to the youth and did not stop insinuating himself into his favour by presents and fair words and deeds, till he became more obedient to him than the hand to the mouth and did whatever he ordered him. One day, he said to him, "Harkye, such an one; will you not bring me into the family dwelling place some time when the lady is gone out?" "Yes," answered the young steward so, when his master was at the shop and his mistress gone forth to the Hammam, he took his friend by the hand and, bringing him into the house, showed him the sitting rooms and all that was within it.

Now the lover was determined to play a trick upon the woman; so he took the white of an egg which he had brought with him in a vessel, and spilt it on the merchant's bedding, unseen by the young man; after which he returned thanks and leaving the house went his way. In an hour or so the merchant came home; and, going to the bed to rest himself, found thereon something wet. So he took it up in his hand and looked at it and deemed it man's seed; at which he stared at the young man with eyes of wrath, and asked him, "Where is your mistress?"; and he answered, "She is gone forth to the Hammam and will return directly after she has made her ablutions." When the man heard this, his suspicion concerning the semen was confirmed; and he grew furious and said, "Go at once and bring her back." The steward accordingly fetched her and when she came before her husband, the jealous man sprang upon her and beat her a grievous beating; then, binding her arms behind her, offered to cut her throat with a knife; but she cried out to the neighbours, who came to her, and she said to them, "This my man has beaten me unjustly and without cause and is minded to kill me, though I know not what is my offence."

So they rose up and asked him, "Why have you dealt thus by her?" And he answered, "She is divorced." they said, "You have no right to maltreat her; either divorce her or use her kindly, for we know her prudence and purity and chastity. Indeed, she has been our neighbour this long time and we know no evil of her." he said, "When I came home, I found on my bed seed like human sperm, and I know not the meaning of this." Upon this a little boy, one of those present, came forward and said, "Show it to me, nuncle mine!" When he saw it, he smelt it and, calling for fire and a frying pan, he took the white of egg and cooked it so that it became solid. Then he ate of it and made the husband and the others taste if it, and they were certified that it was white of egg. So the husband was convinced that he had sinned against his wife's innocence, she being clear of all offence, and the neighbours made peace between them after the divorce, and he prayed her pardon and presented her with an hundred gold pieces. And so the wicked lover's cunning trick came to nothing. "And know, O King, that this is an instance of the malice of men and there perfidy."

When the King heard this, he bade his son be slain; but on the next day the second Wazir came forward for intercession and kissed ground in prostration. Whereupon the King said, "Raise your head: prostration must be made to Allah only." So the Minister rose from before him and said, "O King, hasten not to slay your son, for he was not granted to his mother by the Almighty but after despair, nor did you expect such good luck; and we hope that he will live to become a guerdon to your reign and a guardian of your good. Why, have patience, O King; Perhaps he will offer a fit excuse; and, if you make haste to slay him, you will surely repent, even as the merchant people repented." Asked the King, "And how was it with the merchant, O Wazir?"; and the Wazir answered, "O King, I have heard a tale of