A Grimalkin that is to say, a Cat, went out one night to a certain garden, in search of what she might devour, but found nothing and became weak for the excess of cold and rain that prevailed that night. So she sought for some device by which to save herself. As she prowled about in search of prey, she espied a nest at the foot of a tree, and drawing near unto it, sniffed at that and purred till she scented a Mouse within and went round about it, seeking to enter and seize the inmate. When the Mouse smelt the Cat, he turned his back to her and scraped up the earth with his forehand, to stop the nest door against her; whereupon she assumed a weakly voice and said, "Why do you thus, O my brother? I come to seek refuge with you, hoping that you will take pity on me and harbour me in your nest this night; for I am weak because of the greatness of my age and the loss of my strength, and can hardly move. I have ventured into your garden to night, and how many a time have I called upon death, that I might be at rest from this pain! Behold, here am I at your door, prostrate for cold and rain and I beseech you, By God, take of your charity my hand and bring me in with you and give me shelter in the vestibule of your nest; for I am a stranger and wretched and 'tis said—'whoever shelters a stranger and a wretched one in his home his shelter shall be Paradise on the Day of Doom.' And you, O my brother, it behoves you to earn eternal reward by succouring me and suffering me abide with you this night till the morning, when I will go on their way." —

When it was the Nine Hundred and first night

She pursued, the Cat to the Mouse "So suffer me to night with you this night, after which I will go on their way." Hearing these words the Mouse replied, "How shall I suffer you enter my nest seeing that you are my natural foe and your food is of my flesh? Indeed I fear lest you false me, for that is of your nature and there is no faith in you, and the byword says, 'It befits not to entrust lecher with a fair woman nor a moneyless man with money nor fire with fuel.' Neither does it behove me to entrust myself to you; and 'tis said, 'Enmity of kind, as the enemy himself grows weaker grows stronger.'" The Cat made answer in the faintest voice, as she were in most piteous case, saying, "What you advancest of admonitory instances is the truth and I deny not my offences against you; but I beseech you to pardon that which is past of the enmity of kind between me and you; for 'tis said, 'whoever forgives a creature like himself, his Creator will forgive him his sins.' 'Tis true that former I was your foe but here am I a suitor for your friendship, and they say, 'If you will have your foe become your friend, do with him good.' O my brother, I swear to you By God and make a binding covenant with you that I will hurt you nevermore and for the best of reasons, to wit, that I have no power thereto Why place your trust in Allah and do good and accept my oath and covenant." "The Mouse said, "How can I accept the covenant of one between whom and me there is a rooted enmity, and whose wont it is

The Mouse And The Cat. 37 to deal treacherously by me? Were the feud between us anything but one of blood, this were light to me; but it is an enmity of kind between souls, and it is said, 'whoever trusts himself to his foe is as one who thrusts hand into a serpent's mouth.'" "The Cat, full of wrath, said, "My breast is strait and my soul is faint: indeed I am in articulo mortis and before long I shall die at your door and my blood will be on your head, for that you had it in your power to save me in my extremity: and this is my last word to you." Herewith the fear of Allah Almighty overcame the Mouse and ruth gat hold upon his heart and he said in himself, "whoever would have the succour of Allah the Most High against his foe, let him entreat him with compassion and kindness show. I rely upon the Almighty in this matter and will deliver this Cat from this her strait and earn the divine reward for her." So he went forth and dragged into his nest the Cat, where she abode till she was rested and something strengthened and restored, when she began to bewail her weakness and wasted strength and want of gossips. The Mouse entreated her in friendly guise and comforted her and busied himself with her service; but she crept along till she got command of the issue of the nest, lest the Mouse should escape.

So when the nest owner would have gone out after his wont, he drew near the Cat; whereupon she seized him and taking him in her claws, began to bite him and shake him and take him in her mouth and lift him up and cast him down and run after him and cranch him and torture him. The Mouse cried out for help, beseeching deliverance of Allah and began to upbraid the Cat, saying, "Where is the covenant you made with me and where are the oaths you swore to me? Is this my reward from you? I brought you into my nest and trusted myself to you: but truth he speaks that says, 'whoever relies on his enemy's promise desires not salvation for himself.' And again, 'whoever confids himself to his foe deserves his own destruction.' Yet do I put my trust in my Creator, for He will deliver me from you." Now as he was in this condition, with the Cat about to pounce on him and devour him, behold, up came a huntsman with hunting dogs trained to the chase. One of the hounds passed by the mouth of the nest and hearing a great scuffling thought that within was a fox tearing somewhat; so he crept into the hole, to get at him, and coming upon the Cat, seized on her.

When she found herself in the dog's clutches, she was forced to take thought anent saving herself and loosed the Mouse alive and whole without wound. Then the hound brake her neck and dragging her forth of the hole, threw her down dead: and thus was exemplified the truth of the saying, "Who has compassion shall at the last be compassionated. whoever oppresses shall presently be oppressed." "This, then, O King," added the interpreter, "is what befell the Mouse and the Cat and teaches that none should break faith with those who put trust in him; for whoever does perfidy and treason, there shall befall him the like of that which befell the Cat. As a man mets, so shall it be meted unto him, and he who betaks himself to good shall gain his eternal reward. But grieve you not, neither let this trouble you, O King, for that assuredly your son, after his tyranny and oppression, shall return to the goodliness of your policy. And I would that learned man, your Wazir Shimas, had concealed from you nothing in that which he expounded unto you; and this had been well advised of him, for 'tis said, 'Those of the folk who most abound in fear are the amplest of them in knowledge and the most emulous of good.'"

The King received the interpreter's speech with submission and gifted him and his fellows with rich gifts; then, dismissing them he arose and withdrew to his own apartments and fell to pondering the issue of his affair. When night came, he went in to one of his women, who was most in favour with him and dearest to him of them all, and lay with her: and before some four months had passed over her, the child stirred in her womb, at which she rejoiced with joy exceeding and told the King. he said, "My dream said truth, By God the Helper!"; and he lodged her in the goodliest of lodgings and entreated her with all honour,

King Jali'ad Of Hind And His Wazir Shimas. 39 bestowing on her store of rich gifts and manifold boons. Then he sent one of his pages to fetch his Wazir Shimas and as soon as he was in the presence told the Minister what had happened, rejoicing and saying, "My dream is come true and I have won my wish. It may be this burthen will be a man child and inherit the Kingship after me; what say you of this, O Shimas?" But he was silent and made no reply, whereupon cried the King, "What ails you that you rejoicest not in my joy and returnest me no answer? Does the thing mislike you, O Shimas?" at this the Wazir prostrated himself before him and said, "O King, may Allah prolong your life! What avails it to sit under the shade of a tree, if there issue fire from it, and what is the delight of one who drinks pure wine, if he be choked by that, and what does it profit to quench one's thirst with sweet cool water, if one be drowned within it? I am Allah's servant and yours, O King; but there are three things whereof it besitts not the understanding to speak, till they be accomplished; to wit, the wayfarer, till he return from his way, the man who is in fight, till he have overcome his foe, and the pregnant woman, till she have cast her burthen."—

When it was the Nine Hundred and second night

"What is the story of the Fakir," asked the King, "and what happened to him?" Answered the Wazir, "O King, they tell this tale anent.