There was once a wealthy Merchant, who set out for a certain city purposing to sell merchandise there, and when he came there he hired him a lodging in which he took up his abode. Now certain Robbers saw him, men wont to lie in wait for merchants, that they might rob their goods; so they went to his house and sought some device by which to enter in, but could find no way thereto, and their Captain said, "I'll manage you his matter." Then he went away and, donning the dress of a leach, threw over his shoulder a bag containing something of medicines, after which he set out, crying, "Who lacks a doctor?" and fared on till he came to the merchant's lodging and him sitting eating the noon day dinner. So he asked him, "Do you need you a physician?;" and the trader answered, "I need nothing of the kind, but sit you down and eat with me." The thief sat down facing him and began to eat. Now this merchant was a belle fourchette, and the Robber seeing this, said to himself, "I have found my chance." Then he turned to his host and said to him, "'Tis but right for me to give you an admonition; and after your kindness to me, I cannot hide it from you. I see you to be a great eater and the cause of this is a disorder in your stomach; Why unless you take speedy measures for your cure, yours affair will end in perdition." the merchant "My body is sound and my stomach speedy of digestion, and though I be a hearty eater, yet is there no disease in my body, to Allah be the praise and the thanks!"
The Robber "It may appear thus unto you; but I know you have a disease incubating in your vitals and if you hearken to me, you will medicine yourself." The Merchant asked, "And where shall I find him who knows my remedy?", and the Robber answered, "Allah is the Healer; but a physician like myself curs the sick to the best of his power." Then the other said, "Show me at once my remedy and give me of it." Hereupon he gave him a powder, in which was a strong dose of aloes, saying, "Use this to night;" and he accepted it gratefully.
The Merchant and the Robbers. 101
When the night came, the Merchant tasted something of the powder and found it nauseous of gust; nevertheless he misdoubted not of it, but swallowed it all and from it found ease that night. Next night the thief brought him another powder, in which was yet more aloes and he took it: it purged him that night, but he bore patiently with this and rejected it not. When the Robber saw that he gave ear unto his word and put trust in him nor would gainsay him in anything, he brought him a deadly drug and gave it to him. The Merchant swallowed it and no sooner had he done this than that which was in his stomach fell down and his bowels were rent in sunder, and by the morrow he was a dead man; whereupon the Robbers came and took all the merchandise and monies that belonged to him. "This I tell you, O King," added the favourite "but that you may not accept one word from these deluders; else will there befall you that by which you will destroy yourself." Cried the King, "You sayst truth; I will not go forth to them."
Now when the morning morrowed, the folk assembled together and repairing to the King's door, sat there the most part of the day, till they despaired of his coming forth, when they returned to Shimas and said to him, "O sage philosopher and experienced master, see you not that this ignorant lad does nothing but redouble in falsehood to us? truly 'twere only reasonable and right to take the Kingdom from him and give it to another, so our affairs may be ordered and our estates maintained; but go you in to him a third time and tell him that nothing hinders us from rising against him and taking the Kingship from him but his father's goodness to us and that which he required from us of oaths and engagements. However, to morrow, we will all, to the last of us, assemble here with our arms and break down the gate of the citadel; and if he come forth to us and do that which we wish, no harm is yet done; else we will go in to him and slay him and put the Kingdom in the hand of other than he." So the Wazir Shimas went in to him and said, "O King, that grovels in your gusts and your lusts, what is this you do with yourself? Would Heaven I know who seduced you thereto! If it be you who sinnest against yourself, there has ceased from you that which we knew in you aforetime of integrity and wisdom and eloquence. Could I but learn who has thus changed you and turned you from wisdom to folly and from fidelity to iniquity and from mildness to harshness and from acceptation of me to aversion from me! How comes it that I admonish you thrice and you acceptest not my admonition and that I counsel you rightfully and still you gainsayest my counsel? Tell me, what is this child's play and who is it prompts you to it? Know that the people of your Kingdom have agreed together to come in to you and slay you and give your Kingdom to another. Art able to cope with them all and save yourself from their hands or can quicken yourself after being killed? If, indeed, you be potent to do all this, you are safe and have no occasion for my advice; but If you have any concern for your life and your kingship, return to your sound sense and hold fast your reign and show forth to the folk the power of your prowess and persuade the people with yours excuse, for they are minded to tear away that which is in your hand and commit it unto other, being resolved upon revolt and rebellion, led thereto by that which they know of your youth and your self submission to love liesse and lusts; for that stones, albeit they lie long under water, If you withdraw them from it and smite one upon other, fire will be struck from them. Now your subjects are many folk and they have taken counsel together against you, with a design to transfer the Kingship from you to another and accomplish upon you whatever they desire of your destruction. So will you fare as did the Jackals with the Wolf."—
The Jackals and the Wolf. 103
When it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty first night
She pursued, the Wazir Shimas concluded with saying, "And they shall accomplish upon you whatever they desire of your destruction: so will you fare as fared the Jackals with the Wolf." Asked the King, "How was that?" and the Wazir answered, "They tell the following tale of