They relate that a certain man had a wife whom he loved and honoured giving ear to her speech and doing according to her advice. Moreover, he had a garden, which he had newly planted with his own hand, and was wont to go there every day, to tend it and water it. One day his wife asked him, "What have you planted in your garden?"; and he answered, "All you love and desire, and I am assiduous in tending and watering it." she said, "Will you not carry me there and show it to me, so I may look upon it and offer you up a pious prayer for its prosperity, seeing that my orisons are effectual?" he said, "I will well; but have patience with me till the morrow, when I will come and take you." So early on the ensuing day, he carried her to the garden which he entered with her. Now two young men saw them enter from afar and said each to other, "that man is an adulterer and that woman an adulteress, and they have not entered this garden but to commit adultery." Thereupon they followed the couple to see what they would do, and hid themselves in a corner of the garden. The man and his wife after entering abode awhile within it, and presently he said to her, "Pray me the prayer you did promise me;" but she replied, saying, "I will not pray for you, until you do away my desire of that which women seek from men." he cried, "Out on you, O woman! Have you not your fill of me in the house? Here I fear scandal, especially as you divertest me from my affairs. Fearest you not that some one will see us?" she said, "We need have no care for that, seeing that we do neither sin nor lewdness; and, as for the watering of the garden, that may wait, because you can water it when you will." And she would take neither excuse nor reason from him, but was instant with him in seeking carnal coition. So he arose and lay with her, which when the young men aforesaid saw, they ran upon them and seized them, saying, "We will not let you go, for you are adulterers, and except we have carnal knowledge of the woman, we will report
The Man And His Wife. 99 you to the police." Answered the man, "Fie upon you! This is my wife and I am the master of the garden." They paid no heed to him, but fell upon the woman, who cried out to him for succour, saying, "Suffer them not to defile me!" Accordingly he came up to them, calling out for help; but one of them turned on him and smote him with his dagger and slew him —
When it was the Nine Hundred and Twenties night
continued the Wazir, "But that you may know that it becomes not men to give ear unto a woman's talk neither obey her in anything nor accept her judgment in counsel. Beware, then, lest you don the dress of ignorance, after the robe of knowledge and wisdom, and follow perverse counsel, after knowing that which is righteous and profitable. Why pursue you not a paltry pleasure, whose trending is to corruption and whose inclining is unto sore and uttermost perdition." When the King heard this from Shimas he said to him, "To morrow I will come forth to them, If it be the will of Allah the Most High." So Shimas returned to the Grandees and Notables who were present and told them what the King had said. But this came to the ears of the favourite wife; whereupon she went in to the King and said to him, "The subjects of a King should be his slaves, but I see, O King, you are become a slave to your subjects, because you stand in awe of them and fear their mischief. They do but desire to make proof of yours inner man; and if they find you weak, they will disdain you; but, if they find you stout and brave, they will dread you. in this way do ill Wazirs with their King, for that their wiles are many; but I will make manifest unto you the truth of their malice. If you comply with the conditions they demand, they will cause you cease ruling and do their will; nor will they leave leading you on from affair to affair, till they cast you into destruction; and your case will be as that of he Merchant and the Robbers." Asked the King, "How was that?" and she answered, "I have heard tell this tale anent