There was once a man of the Drapers, who had a beautiful wife, and she was curtained and chaste. A certain young man saw her coming forth of the Hammam and loved her and his heart was engrossed with her. So he devised for access to her all manner of devices, but availed not to foregather with her; and when he was a-weary and his patience failed for travail and trouble and his fortitude betrayed and forsook him and he was at an end of his resources against her, he complained of this to an ill omened crone, who promised him to bring about union between him and his beloved. He thanked her for this and promised her all manner of douceurs; and she said to him, "Hie you to her husband and buy of him a turband-cloth

Story of the Crone and the Draper's Wife. 215 of fine linen, and let it be of the very best of stuff." So he repaired to the Draper and buying of him a turband-cloth of lawn, returned and gave it to the old woman, who took it and burned it in two places. Then she donned the dress of a devotee and taking the turband-cloth with her, went to the Draper's house and knocked at the door. When the Draper's wife saw her thus habited as a holy woman, she opened to her and admitted her with kindly reception, and made much of her and welcomed her: so the crone went in to her and conversed with her awhile. Then she said to her, "I want to make the Wuzu-ablution preparatory to prayer." At these words the wife brought the water and she made the ablution and standing up to pray, prayed and satisfied herself; and when she had ended her orisons, she left the turband-cloth in the place of prayer and fared forth. Presently, in came the Draper, at the hour of night-devotions, and sitting down in the prayer-place where the old woman had prayed, looked about him and espied the turband. He knew it and suspected foul play; so wrath showed in his face and he was furious with his wife and reviled her and abode his day and his night without speaking to her, during all which while she knew not the cause of his rage.

Then she looked and seeing the turband-cloth before him and noting the traces of burning thereon, understood that his anger was on account of this and concluded that he was in ill-temper because it was burnt. When the morning morrowed, the Draper went out, still wroth with his wife, and the crone returned to her and found her changed of colour, pale of complexion, dejected and heart-broken. So she questioned her of the cause, and the wife told her how her husband was angered against her on account of the burns in the turband-cloth. Rejoined the old woman, "O my daughter, be not chagrined; for I have a son, a fine-drawer, and he, by your life, shall fine-draw the holes and restore the turband-cloth as it was." The wife rejoiced in her saying and he asked, "And when shall this be?" The crone answered, "tomorrow, God willing—If it please Allah the Most High—I will bring him to you, at the time of your husband's going forth from you, and he shall fine-draw it and depart immediately." Then she comforted her heart and going away from her, returned to the young man and acquainted him with what had passed. Now when the Draper saw the turband-cloth, he determined to divorce his wife and waited only till he could collect that which was obligatory on him of the contingent dowry and what not else, for fear of her people.

When the crone arose in the morning, she took the young man and carried him into the Draper's house. The wife opened the door to her and the ill-omened old woman entered with him and said to the lady, "Go, fetch that which you would have fine-drawn and give it to my son." So saying, she bolted the door on her, whereupon the young man raped her against her will and did his want of her and went forth. Then cried the crone, "Know that this is my son and that he loved you with exceeding love and was like to lose his life for longing after you; so I devised for you with this device and came to you with this turband-cloth, which is not your husband's, but my son's. Now have I won to my wish; so do you trust in me and I will put a sleight on your husband for setting you right with him, and you will be subject to me and to him and to my son." And the wife replied, " 'Tis well. Do so." Presently, the old woman returned to the lover and said, "Know you that I have engineered the affair for you with her; and now we must mend that we have marred. Hie you and sit with the Draper and mention to him the turband-cloth, saying, 'The turband I bought of you I chanced to burn in two places; so I gave it to a certain old woman, to have fine-drawn, and she took it and went away, and I know not her dwelling-place.' When you see me pass by, rise and lay hold of me, and demand of me the cloth, to the intent that I may arrange her affair with her spouse and that matters go right with you in her regard." Accordingly he repaired to the Draper's shop

Story of the Crone and the Draper's Wife. 217 and sat down by him and asked him, "You know the turband-cloth I bought of you?" "Yes." "Know you what is come of it?" "No." "After I bought it of you, I fumigated myself and it fortuned that the turband cloth was burnt in two places; so I gave it to a woman, whose son, they said, was a fine-drawer, and she took it and fared forth with it; and I know not her home." When the Draper heard this, he was startled by the thought that he had suspected his wife wrongfully, and marvelled at the story of the turband cloth, and his mind was made easy anent her. After a short while up came the old woman, whereupon the young man sprang to his feet and seizing her, demanded of her the turband-cloth. she said, "Know that I entered one of the houses and wuzu'd and prayed in the prayer-place; and I forgot the turband-cloth there and went out. Now I weet not the house in which I prayed, nor have I been divinely directed thereto, and I go round about every day till the night, so Perhaps I may light on the dwelling, for I know not its owner." When the Draper heard these words, he said to the old woman, "truly, Allah restors to you what thing you have lost. Be gladdened by good news, for the turband-cloth is with me and in my house." And he arose directly and handed to her the turband-cloth, as it was, and she handed it to the young man. Then the Draper made peace with his wife and gave her raiment and jewellery, till she was content and her heart was appeased. When the king heard his Chamberlain's story, he was dazed and amazed and said to him, "Abide on your service and ear your field for that the lion entered it, but marred it not, and he will never more return there." Then he bestowed on him an honourable robe and made him a costly present;

and the man returned to his wife and people, rejoicing, his heart having been set at rest concerning his wife. "Nor" (continued the Wazir), ", is this rarer or stranger than the story of the beautiful wife, a woman gifted of amorous grace, with the ugly Man, her husband." When King Shah Bakht heard the Minister's speech, he deemed it delectable and it pleased him; so he bade him hie to his house, and there he tarried his day long.

The Twenty fifth Night of the Month

WHEN the evening evened, the King summoned his Wazir and bade him tell the tale. So he said, "'Tis well. Hear, O King,