A Woman of the daughters of the merchants was married to a man who was a great traveller. It chanced once that he set out for a far country and was absent so long that his wife, for pure ennui, fell in love with a handsome young man of the sons of the merchants, and they loved each other with exceeding love. One day, the youth quarrelled with another man, who lodged a complaint against him with the Chief of Police, and he cast him into prison. When the news came to the merchant's wife his mistress, she well near lost her wits; then she arose and donning her richest clothes repaired to the house of the Chief of Police. She saluted him and presented a written petition to this purport, "He you have clapped in jail is my brother, such and such, who fell out with such an one; and those who testified against him bore false witness. He has been wrongfully imprisoned, and I have none other to come in to me nor to provide for my support; therefore I beseech you of your grace to release him." When the magistrate had read the paper, he cast his eyes on her and fell in love with her directly; so he said to her, "Go into the house, till I bring him before me; then I will send for you and you will take him." "O my lord," she replied, "I have none to protect me save Almighty Allah!: I am a stranger and may not enter any man's abode." the Wali said, "I will not let him go, except you come to my home and I take my will of you."

Rejoined she, "If it must be so, you must needs come to my lodging and sit and sleep the siesta and rest the whole day there." "And where is your abode?" he asked; and she answered, "In such a place," and appointed him for such a time. Then she went out from him, leaving his heart taken with love of her, and she repaired to the Kazi of the city, to whom she said, "O our lord the Kazi!" He exclaimed, "Yes!" And she continued, "Look into my case, and your reward be with Allah the Most High!" he said, "Who has wronged you?" and she said, "O my lord, I have a brother and I have none but that one, and it is on his account that I come to you; because the Wali has imprisoned him for a criminal and men have borne false witness against him that he is a wrong doer; and I beseech you to intercede for him with the Chief of Police." When the Kazi looked on her, he fell in love with her directly and said to her, "Enter the house and rest awhile with my hand maids whilst I send to the Wali to release your brother. If I knew the money fine which is upon him, I would pay it out of my own purse, so I may have my desire of you, for you pleasest me with your sweet speech." she said, "If you, O my lord, do thus, we must not blame others." he said, "If you will not come in, go your ways."

Then she said, "If you will have it so, O our lord, it will be privier and better in my place than in yours, for here are slave girls and eunuchs and goers in and comers out, and indeed I am a woman who knows nothing of this fashion; but need compells." Asked the Kazi, "And where is your house?"; and she answered, "In such a place," and appointed him for the same day and time as the Chief of Police. Then she went out from him to the Wazir, to whom she preferred her petition for the release from prison of her brother who was absolutely necessary to her: but he also required her of herself, saying, "Suffer me to have my will of you and I will set your brother free." she said, "If you will have it so, be it in my house, for there it will be privier both for me and for you. It is not far distant and you know that which behoves us women of cleanliness and adornment." he asked, "Where is your house?" "In such a place," answered she and appointed him for the same time as the two others. Then she went out from him to the King of the city and told him her story and sought of him her brother's release. "Who imprisoned him?" enquired he; and she replied, "'Twas your Chief of Police."

When the King heard her speech, it transpierced his heart with the arrows of love and he bade her enter the palace with him, that he might send to the Kazi and release her brother She said, "O King, this thing is easy to you, whether I will or will not; and if the King will indeed have this of me, it is of my good fortune; but, if he come to my house, he will do me the more honour by setting step within it, even as says the poet,

'O my friends, have you seen or have you heard Of his visit whose virtues I hold so high?'

the King said, "We will not cross you in this." So she appointed him for the same time as the three others, and told him where her house was.—

When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety fourth night

he replied, "My price will be four dinars; but, O noble lady and well protected, if you will vouchsafe me your favours, I will ask nothing of you." Rejoined she, "An there be no help but that you have it so, then make you five compartments with their padlocks;" and she appointed him to bring it exactly on the day required. He said, "It is well; sit down, O my lady, and I will make it for you directly, and after I will come to you at my leisure." So she sat down by him, whilst he fell to work on the cabinet, and when he had made an end of it she chose to see it at once carried home and set up in the sitting chamber. Then she took four gowns and carried them to the dyer, who dyed them each of a different colour; after which she applied herself to making ready meat and drink; fruits, flowers and perfumes. Now when the appointed trysting day came, she donned her costliest dress and adorned herself and scented herself, then spread the sitting room with various kinds of rich carpets and sat down to await who should come. And behold, the Kazi was the first to appear, devancing the rest, and when she saw him, she rose to her feet and kissed the ground before him; then, taking him by the hand, made him sit down by her on the couch and lay with him and fell to jesting and toying with him. By and by, he would have her do his desire, but she said, "O my lord, doff your clothes and turband and assume this yellow cassock and this head kerchief, whilst I bring you meat and drink; and after you will win your will."

So saying, she took his clothes and turband and clad him in the cassock and the kerchief; but hardly had she done this, when lo There came a knocking at the door He asked, "Who is that rapping at the door?" and she answered, "My husband." the Kazi said, "What is to be done, and where shall I go?" she said, "Fear nothing, I will hide you in this cabinet;" and he, "Do as seems good to you." So she took him by the hand and pushing him into the lowest compartment, locked the door upon him. Then she went to the house door, where she found the Wali; so she kissed ground before him and taking his hand brought him into the saloon, where she made him sit down and said to him, "O my lord, this house is your house; this place is your place, and I am your handmaid: you will pass all this day with me; Why do you doff your clothes and don this red gown, for it is a sleeping gown." So she took away his clothes and made him assume the red gown and set on his head an old patched rag she had by her; after which she sat by him on the divan and she sported with him while he toyed with her awhile, till he put out his hand to her. Whereupon she said to him, "O our lord, this day is your day and none shall share in it with you; but first, of your favour and benevolence, write me an order for my brother's release from gaol that my heart may be at ease." he said, "I hear and I obey: on my head and eyes be it!"; and wrote a letter to his treasurer, saying, "As soon as this communication shall reach you, do you set such an one free, without delay; neither answer the bearer a word."

Then he sealed it and she took it from him, after which she began to toy again with him on the divan when, behold, some one knocked at the door. He asked, "Who is that?" and she answered, "My husband." "What shall I do?" he said, and she, "Enter this cabinet, till I send him away and return to you." So she clapped him into the second compartment from the bottom and padlocked the door on him; and meanwhile the Kazi heard all they said. Then she went to the house door and opened it, whereupon lo The Wazir entered. She kissed the ground before him and received him with all honour and worship, saying, "O my lord, you exaltest us by your coming to our house; Allah never deprive us of the light of your countenance!" Then she seated him on the divan and said to him, "O my lord, doff your heavy dress and turband and don these lighter vestments." So he put off his clothes and turband and she clad him in a blue cassock and a tall red bonnet, and said to him, "Erst your garb was that of the Wazirate; so leave it to its own time and don this light gown, which is better fitted for carousing and making merry and sleep."

Thereupon she began to play with him and he with her, and he would have done his desire of her; but she put him off, saying, "O my lord, this shall not fail us." As they were talking there came a knocking at the door, and the Wazir he asked, "Who is that?": to which she answered, "My husband." he said, "What is to be done?" she said, "Enter this cabinet, till I get rid of him and come back to you and fear you nothing." So she put him in the third compartment and locked the door on him, after which she went out and opened the house door when lo and behold In came the King. As soon as she saw him she kissed ground before him, and taking him by the hand, led him into the saloon and seated him on the divan at the upper end. Then she said to him, "truly, O King, you do us high honour, and if we brought you to gift the world and all that within it is, it would not be worth a single one of your steps us wards."—

When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety fifth night

And when he had taken his seat upon the divan she said, "Give me leave to speak one word." "Say what you will," he answered, and she said, "O my lord, take yours ease and doff your dress and turband." Now his clothes were worth a thousand dinars; and when he put them off she clad him in a patched gown, worth at the very most ten dirhams, and fell to talking and jesting with him; all this while the folk in the cabinet hearing everything that passed, but not daring to say a word. Presently, the King put his hand to her neck and sought to do his desire of her; when she said, "This thing shall not fail us, but I had first promised myself to entertain you in this sitting chamber, and I have that which shall content you." Now as they were speaking, some one knocked at the door and he asked, "Who is that?" "My husband," answered she, and he, "Make him go away of his own good will, or I will fare forth to him and send him away Of necessity." she replied, "Nay, O my lord, have patience till I send him away by my skilful contrivance." "And I, how shall I do!"

Enquired the King; whereupon she took him by the hand and making him enter the fourth compartment of the cabinet, locked it upon him. Then she went out and opened the house door when behold, the carpenter entered and saluted her She said, "What manner of thing is this cabinet you have made me?" "What ails it, O my lady?" he asked, and she answered, "The top compartment is too strait." Rejoined he, "Not so;" and she, "Go in yourself and see; it is not wide enough for you." he said, "It is wide enough for four," and entered the fifth compartment, whereupon she locked the door on him. Then she took the letter of the Chief of Police and carried it to the treasurer who, having read and understood it, kissed it and delivered her lover to her. She told him all she had done and he said, "And how shall we act now?" She answered, "We will remove hence to another city, for after this work there is no tarrying for us here." So the twain packed up what goods they had and, loading them on camels, set out directly for another city. Meanwhile, the five abode each in his compartment of the cabinet without eating or drinking three whole days, during which time they held their water until at last the carpenter could retain his no longer; so he staled on the King's head, and the King urined on the Wazir's head, and the Wazir piddled on the Wali and the Wali pissed on the head of the Kazi; whereupon the Judge cried out and said, "What nastiness is this? Does not what strait we are in suffice us, but you must make water upon us?"

The Chief of Police recognised the Kazi's voice and answered, saying aloud, "Allah increase your reward, O Kazi!" And when the Kazi heard him, he knew him for the Wali. Then the Chief of Police lifted up his voice and said, "What means this nastiness?" and the Wazir answered, saying, "Allah increase your reward, O Wali!" Whereupon he knew him to be the Minister. Then the Wazir lifted up his voice and said, "What means this nastiness?" But when the King heard and recognised his Minister's voice, he held his peace and concealed his affair. Then said the Wazir, "May God damn this woman for her dealing with us! She has brought here all the Chief Officers of the state, except the King." the King said, "Hold your peace, for I was the first to fall into the toils of this lewd strumpet." at which cried the carpenter, "And I, what have I done? I made her a cabinet for four gold pieces, and when I came to seek my hire, she tricked me into entering this compartment and locked the door on me." And they fell to talking with one another, diverting the King and doing away his chagrin. Presently, the neighbours came up to the house and, seeing it deserted, said one to other, "But yesterday our neighbour, the wife of such an one, was in it; but now no sound is to be heard within it nor is soul to be seen. Let us break open the doors and see how the case stands, lest it come to the ears of the Wali or the King and we be cast into prison and regret not doing this thing before." So they broke open the doors and entered the saloon, where they saw a large wooden cabinet and heard men within groaning for hunger and thirst. Then said one of them, "Is there a Jinni in this cabinet?" and his fellow, "Let us heap fuel about it and burn it with fire." When the Kazi heard this, he bawled out to them, "Do it not!"—

When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety sixth night

And they said to one another, "truly the Jinn make believe to be mortals and speak with men's voices." Thereupon the Kazi repeated something of the Sublime Koran and said to the neighbours, "Draw near to the cabinet in which we are." So they drew near, and he said, "I am so and so the Kazi, and you are such an one and such an one, and we are here a company." the neighbours said, "Who brought you here?" And he told them the whole case from beginning to end. Then they fetched a carpenter, who opened the five doors and let out Kazi, Wazir, Wali, King and carpenter in their queer disguises; and each, when he saw how the others were accoutred, fell a laughing at them. Now she had taken away all their clothes; so every one of them sent to his people for fresh clothes and put them on and went out, covering himself therewith from the sight of the folk. "Consider, therefore, O our lord the King" (said the Wazir), "what a trick this woman played off upon the folk! And I have heard tell also a tale of