To See The Night Of Power.

A Certain man had longed all his life to look upon the Night of Power, and one night it befell that he gazed at the sky and saw the angels, and Heaven's gates thrown open; and he beheld all things prostrating themselves before their Lord, each in its several stead. So he said to his wife, "Harkye, such an one, truly Allah has shown me the Night of Power, and it has been proclaimed to me, from the invisible world, that three prayers will be granted unto me; so I consult you for counsel as to what shall I ask." she said, "O man, the perfection of man and his delight is in his prickle; therefore do you pray Allah to greaten your yard and magnify it." So he lifted up his hands to heaven and said, "O Allah, greaten my yard and magnify it." Hardly had he spoken when his tool became as big as a column and he could neither sit nor stand nor move about nor even stir from his stead; and when he would have carnally known his wife, she fled before him from place to place. So he said to her, "O accursed woman, what is to be done? This is your list, by reason of your lust."

She replied, "No, By God, I did not ask for this length and huge bulk, for which the gate of a street were too strait. Pray Heaven to make it less." So he raised his eyes to Heaven and said, "O Allah, rid me of this thing and deliver me from it." And immediately his prickle disappeared altogether and he became clean smooth. When his wife saw this, she said, "I have no occasion for you, now you are become pegless as a eunuch, shaven and shorn;" and he answered, saying, "All this comes of yours ill omened counsel and yours imbecile judgment. I had three prayers accepted of Allah, wherewith I might have gotten me my good, both in this world and in the next, and now two wishes are gone in pure waste, by your lewd will, and there remains but one." she said, "Pray Allah the Most High to restore you your yard as it was." So he prayed to his Lord and his prickle was restored to its first estate. Thus the man lost his three wishes by the ill counsel and lack of wit in the woman; "And this, O King" (said the Wazir), "have I told you, that you might be certified of the thoughtlessness of women and their inconsequence and silliness and see what comes of hearkening to their counsel. Why be not persuaded by them to slay your son, your heart's core, who shall cause your remembrance to survive you."

The King gave ear to his Minister's words and forbore to put his son to death; but, on the seventh day, the damsel came in, shrieking, and after lighting a great fire in the King's presence, made as she would cast herself within it; whereupon they laid hands on her and brought her before him He asked, "Why have you done this?"; and she answered; "Except you do me justice on your son, I will cast myself into this very fire and accuse you of this on the Day of Resurrection, for I am a weary of my life, and before coming into your presence I wrote my last will and testament and gave alms of my goods and resolved upon death. And you will repent with all repentance, even as did the King of having punished the pious woman who kept the Hammam." the King said, "How was that?" and she said, "I have heard tell, O King, this tale concerning