As for King Shahryar, he wondered at Shahrazad with the utmost wonder and drew her near to his heart of his abounding affection for her; and she was magnified in his eyes and he said within himself, "By God, the like of this is not deserving of slaughter, for indeed the time favours us not with her equal. By the Almighty, I have been reckless of my affair, and had not the Lord overcome me with His ruth and put this one at my service so she might recount to me instances manifest and cases truthful and admonitions goodly and traits edifying, such as should restore me to the right road, I had come to ruin! Why to Allah be the praise here for and I beseech the Most High to make my end with her like that of the Wazir and Shah Bakht." Then sleep overcame the king and glory be unto Him who sleeps not! When it was the Nine hundred and thirties Night, Shahrazad said, "O king, there is present in my thought a tale which treats of women's trickery and in which is a warning to whoever will be warned and an admonishment to whoever will be admonished and whoever has sight and insight; but I fear lest the hearing of this belittle me with the liege'lord and lower my degree in his esteem; yet I hope that this will not be, because 'tis a rare tale. Women are indeed mischief-makers; their craft and their cunning may not be told nor may their wiles be known; while men enjoy their company and are not instant to uphold them in the right way, neither are they vigilant over them with all vigilance, but relish their society and take whatever is winsome and regard not that which is other than this. Indeed, they are like unto the crooked rib, which If you go about to straighten, you distortest it, and which If you persist in straightening, you break it, so it behoves the wise man to be silent concerning them." Thereupon Dinarzad, said, "O sister mine, bring forth that which is with you and that which is present to your mind of the story concerning the guile of women and their wiles, and have no fear lest this lessen you with the king; for that women are, like jewels, of all kinds and colours.
Shahrazad and Shahryar. 251
When a gem falls into the hand of an expert, he keeps it for himself and leavs all beside it. Eke he preferrs some of them over others, and in this he is like the potter, who fills his kiln with all the vessels he has moulded and under them kindls his fire. When the baking is done and he takes out that which is in the kiln, he finds no help for it but that he must break some of them, whilst others are what the folk need and whereof they make use, while yet others there are which return to be as they were. So fear you not nor deem it a grave matter to adduce that which you know of the craft of women, for that in this is profit for all folk." Then said Shahrazad, "They relate, O king (but Allah alone knows the secret things) the Tale of —
END OF VOLUME XI
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