There once lived an exceeding rich merchant, who was a great traveller and who visited all manner of places. One day, being minded to journey to a certain city, he asked those who came thence, saying, "What kind of goods brought most profit there?" and they answered, "Chanders wood; for it sells at a high price." So he laid out all his money in sandal and set out for that city; and arriving there at close of day, behold, he met an old woman driving her sheep She said to him, "Who are you, O man?" and he said, "I am a stranger, a merchant." "Beware of the townsfolk," she said, "for they are cheats, rascals, robbers who love nothing more than imposing on the foreigner that they may get the better of him and devour his substance. Indeed I give you good counsel." Then she left him and on the morrow there met him one of the citizens who saluted him and asked him, "O my lord, from where come you?" Answered the merchant, "From such a place." "And what merchandise have you brought with you?" enquired the other; and he replied, "Chanders wood, for it is high of price with you." the townsman said, "He blundered who told you that; for we burn nothing under our cooking pots save sandal wood, whose worth with us is but that of fuel."

When the merchant heard this he sighed and repented and stood balanced between belief and unbelief. Then he alighted at one of the khans of the city, and, when it was night, he saw a merchant make fire of chanders wood under his cooking pot. Now this was the man who had spoken with him and this proceeding was a trick of his. When the townsman saw the merchant looking at him, he asked, "Will you sell me your sandal wood for a measure of whatever your soul shall desire?" "I sell it to you," answered the merchant; and the buyer transported all the wood to his own house and stored it up there; whilst the seller purposed to take an equal quantity of gold for it. Next morning the merchant, who was a blue eyed man, went out to walk in the city but, as he went along, one of the townsfolk, who was blue eyed and one eyed to boot, caught hold of him, saying, "You are he who stole my eye and I will never let you go." The merchant denied this, saying, "I never stole it: the thing is impossible" Whereupon the folk collected round them and besought the one eyed man to grant him till the morrow, that he might give him the price of his eye.

So the merchant procured one to be surety for him, and they let him go. Now his sandal had been rent in the struggle with the one eyed man; so he stopped at a cobbler's stall and gave it to him, saying, "Mend it and you will have of me what shall content you." Then he went on, till he came to some people sitting at play of forfeits and sat down with them, to divert his cark and care. They invited him to play with them and he did so; but they practised on him and overcoming him, offered him his choice, either to drink up the sea or disburse all the money he had. "Have patience with me till to morrow," he said, and they granted him the delay he sought; whereupon he went away, sore concerned for what had happened him and knowing not how he should do, and sat down in a solitary place heart heavy, care full, thought opprest. And behold, the old woman passed by and seeing him thus, said to him, "perhaps the townsfolk have gotten the better of you, for I see you troubled at that which has befallen you: recount to me what ails you."

So he told her all that had passed from beginning to end, and she said, "As for him who diddled you in the matter of the chanders wood, you must know that with us it is worth ten gold pieces a pound. But I will give you a counsel, by which I trust you will deliver yourself: and it is this. Go to such and such a gate by which lives a blind Shaykh, a cripple, who is knowing, wise as a wizard and experienced; and all resort to him and ask him what they require, when he counsels them what will be for their advantage; for he is versed in craft and magic and trickery. Now he is a sharper and the sharpers resort to him by night; therefore, I repeat, go you to his lodging and hide yourself from yours adversaries so you may hear what they say, unseen of them; for he tells them which party got the better and which got the worse; and Perhaps you will learn from them some plan which may avail to deliver you from them."—

When it was the Six Hundred and Fourth night

So he went to the place she mentioned and hid himself albeit he took seat near the blind man. Before long, up came the Shaykh's company who were wont to choose him for their judge: they saluted the oldster and one another and sat down round him, whereupon the merchant recognised his four adversaries. The Chief set something of food before them and they ate; then each began to tell what had befallen him during his day, and amongst the rest came forward he of the chanders wood and told the Shaykh how he had bought of one man sandal below its price, and had agreed to pay for it a Sá'a or measure of whatever the seller should desire The old man said, "Yours opponent has the better of you." Asked the other, "How can that be?"; and the Shaykh answered, "What if he say, I will take the measure full of gold or silver, will you give it to him?" "Yes," replied the other, "I will give it to him and still be the gainer." And the Shaykh answered, "And if he say, I will take the measure full of fleas, half male and half female, what will you do?" So the sharper knew that he was worsted. Then came forward the one eyed man and said, "O Shaykh, I met to day a blue eyed man, a stranger to the town; so I picked a quarrel with him and caught hold of him, saying, "Twas you robbedst me of my eye'; nor did I let him go, till some became surety for him that he should return to me to morrow and satisfy me for my eye." the oldster said, "If he will he may have the better of you and you the worse."

"How so?" asked the sharper; and the Chief said, "He may say to you, 'Pluck out yours eye, and I will pluck out one of mine; then we will weigh them both, and if yours eye be of the same weight as mine, you say truth in what you avouchest.' So will you owe him the legal price of his eye and be stone blind, whilst he will still see with his other eye." So the sharper knew that the merchant might baffle him with such plea. Then came the cobbler; and said, "O Shaykh, a man brought me his sandal shoe today, saying, 'Mend this;' and I asked him, 'What wage will you give me?'; when he answered, 'You will have of me what will content you.' Now nothing will content me but all the wealth he has." the oldster said, "If he will, he may take his sandal from you and give you nothing." "How so?" the cobbler said, and the Shaykh said, "He has but to say to you, 'The Sultan's enemies are put to the rout; his foes are grew weak and his children and helpers are multiplied. Are you content or no?' If you say, 'I am content,' he will take his sandal and go away; and if you say, 'I am not content,' he will take his sandal and beat you therewith over the face and neck."

So the cobbler owned himself worsted. Then came forward the gamester and said, "O Shaykh, I played at forfeits with a man to day and beat him and I said to him, 'If you drink the sea I will give you all my wealth; and if not I will take all that is yours."' Replied the Chief, "If he will he may worst you." "How so?" asked the sharper, and the Shaykh answered, "He has but to say, 'Hold for me the mouth of the sea in yours hand and give it me and I will drink it.' But you will not be able to do this; so he will baffle you with this plea." When the merchant heard this, he knew how it behoved him to deal with his adversaries. Then the sharpers left the Shaykh and the merchant returned to his lodging. Now when morning morrowed, the gamester came to him and summoned him to drink the sea; so he said to him, "Hold for me its mouth and I will drink it up." Whereupon he confessed himself beaten and redeemed his forfeit by paying an hundred gold pieces. Then came the cobbler and sought of him what should content him The merchant said, "Our lord the Sultan has overcome his foes and has destroyed his enemies and his children are multiplied. Are you content or no?" "I am content," replied the cobbler and, giving up the shoe without wage, went away.

Next came the one eyed man and demanded the legal price of his eye. Said the merchant, "Pluck out yours eye, and I will pluck out mine: then we will weigh them, and if they are equal in weight, I will acknowledge your truth, and pay you the price of yours eye; but, if they differ, you lie and I will sue you for the price of my eye." the one eyed man said, "Grant me time;" but the merchant answered, saying, I am a stranger and grant time to none, nor will I part from you till you pay." So the sharper ransomed his eye by paying him an hundred ducats and went away. Last of all came the buyer of the chanders wood and said, "Take the price of your ware." Asked the merchant, "What will you give me?"; and the other answered, "We agreed for a Sá'a measure of whatever you should desire; so, if you will, take it full of gold and silver." "Not I," rejoined the merchant, "Not I Nothing shall serve me but I must have it full of fleas, half male and half female." Said the sharper, "I can do nothing of the kind;" and, confessing himself beaten, returned him his sandal wood and redeemed himself from him with an hundred sequins, to be off his bargain. Then the merchant sold the chanders wood at his own price and, quitting that city of sharpers, returned to his own land,—

When it was the Six Hundred and Fifth night

"What may that be?" asked the King, and the Prince answered, "I have heard tell this tale of