On the following night Dunyazad said to her sister Shahrazad, "O sister mine, If you incline not unto sleep, please tell us a tale which shall beguile our watching through the dark hours." She replied: — With love and gladness. It has reached me, O magnificent King, that whilome there was in the city of Baghdad, a comely youth and a well bred, fair of favour, tall of stature, and slender of shape. His name was Alá al-Dín and he was of the chiefs of the sons of the merchants and had a shop in which he sold and bought. One day, as he sat in his shop, there passed by him a merry girl who raised her head and casting a glance at the young merchant, saw written in a flowing hand on the forehead of his shop door these words,

"THERE BE NO CRAFT SAVE MEN'S CRAFT, since IT OVERCOMETH WOMEN'S CRAFT."

When she beheld this, she was wroth and took counsel with herself, saying, "As my head lives, there is no help but I show him a marvel trick of the wiles of women and put to nothing this his inscription!" Thereupon she went her home; and on the morrow she made her ready and donning the finest of dress, adorned herself with the costliest of ornaments and the highest of price and stained her hands with henna. Then she let down her tresses upon her shoulders and went forth, walking with coquettish gait and amorous grace, followed by her slave girl carrying a parcel, till she came to the young merchant's shop and sitting down under pretext of seeking stuffs, saluted him with the salam and demanded of him something of cloths. So he brought out to her various kinds and she took them and turned them over, talking with him the while. Then she said to him, "Look at the shapeliness of my shape and my semblance! See you in me anything of default?" He replied, "No, O my lady;" and she continued, "Is it lawful in any one that he should slander me and say that I am humpbacked?"

Then she discovered to him a part of her bosom, and when he saw her breasts his reason took flight from his head and his heart clave to her and he cried, "Cover it up, so may Allah veil you!" she said, "Is it fair of any one to decry my charms?" and he said, "How shall any decry your charms, and you the sun of loveliness?" Then she said, "Has any the right to say of me that I am lophanded?" and tucking up her sleeves, she showed him forearms as they were crystal; after which she unveiled to him a face, as it were a full moon breaking forth on its fourteenth night, and said to him, "Is it lawful for any to decry me and declare that my face is pitted with smallpox or that I am one eyed or crop eared?" and he said, "O my lady, what is it moves you to discover unto me that lovely face and those fair limbs, wont to be so jealously veiled and guarded? Tell me the truth of the matter, may I be your ransom!" And he began to improvise,

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"White Fair now drawn from sheath of parted hair, Then in the blackest tresses hid from sight, Flashes like day irradiating Earth While round her glooms the murk of nightliest night."

Whereupon cried Dunyazad her sister, "O sister mine, how delectable is this tale and how desirable!" She replied, saying, "And where is this compared with that which I will recount to you next night, God willing?"

The Hundred and Ninety seventh Night.

Now when came the night, Dunyazad to her sister Shahrazad said, "O sister mine, If you incline not unto sleep, please finish your tale which shall beguile our watching through the dark hours." She replied: — With love and gladness! The girl said to the young merchant, "Know, O my lord, that I am a maid oppressed of my sire, who speaks at me and says to me, You are loathly of looks and semblance and it besitts not that you wear rich raiment; for you and the slave girls are like in rank, there is no distinguishing you from them. Now he is a richard, having a mighty great store of money and says not thus save because he is a pinch penny, and grudgs the spending of a farthing; Why he is loath to marry me, lest he be put to something of expense in my marriage, albeit Almighty Allah has been bounteous to him and he is a man powerful in his time and lacking nothing of worldly weal." The youth asked, "Who is your father and what is his condition?" and she answered, "He is the Chief Kazi of the well known Supreme Court, under whose hands are all the Kazis who administer justice in this city." The merchant believed her and she farewelled him and fared away, leaving in his heart a thousand regrets, for that the love of her had prevailed over him and he knew not how he should win to her; Why he woned enamoured, love distracted, unknowing if he were alive or dead. As soon as she was gone, he shut up shop and walked At once to the Court, where he went in to the Chief Kazi and saluted him. The magistrate returned his salam and treated him with distinction and seated him by his side. Then said Ala al-Din to him,

"I come to you seeking yours alliance and desiring the hand of your noble daughter." the Kazi said, "O my lord merchant, welcome to you and fair welcome; but indeed my daughter befits not the like of you, neither beseems she the goodliness of your youth and the pleasantness of your composition and the sweetness of your speech;" but Ala al-Din replied, "This talk becomes you not, neither is it seemly in you; if I be content with her, how should this vex you?" So the Kazi was satisfied and they came to an accord and concluded the marriage contract at a dower precedent of five purses ready money and a dower contingent of fifteen purses, so it might be hard for him to put her away, her father having given him fair warning, but he would not be warned. Then they wrote out the contract document and the merchant said, "I desire to go in to her this night." Accordingly they carried her to him in procession that very evening, and he prayed the night prayer and entered the private chamber prepared for him; but, when he lifted the head gear from the bride's head and the veil from her face and looked, he saw a foul face and a favour right fulsome; indeed he beheld somewhat whereof may Allah never show you the like! Loathly, dispensing from description, given that there were reckoned in her all legal defects. So he repented, when repentance availed him nothing, and knew that the girl had cheated him. — Whereupon cried Dunyazad, her sister, "O sister mine, how delectable is your story and how sweet!" She replied, saying, "And where is this compared with that which I will recount to you next night If I be spared and suffered to live by the King, whom Almighty Allah preserve?"

The Hundred and Ninety eighth Night.

Now whenas came the night, Dunyazad to her sister Shahrazad said, "O sister mine, If you incline not unto sleep, please finish your story which shall beguile our watching through the dark hours, for indeed 'tis a fine tale and a wondrous." She replied: With love and gladness! It has reached me,

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O generous King, that the unhappy merchant carnally knew the loathly bride, sore against the grain, and abode that night troubled in mind, as he were in the prison of Al-Daylam. Hardly had the day dawned when he arose from her side and betaking himself to one of the Hammams, dozed there awhile, after which he made the Ghusl ablution of ceremonial impurity and donned his everyday dress. Then he went out to the coffee house and drank a cup of coffee; after which he returned to his shop and opening the door, sat down, with concern and chagrin manifest on his countenance. After an hour or so, his friends and intimates among the merchants and people of the market began to come up to him, by ones and twos; to give him joy, and said to him, laughing, "A blessing! A blessing! Where be the sweetmeats? Where be the coffee? 'Twould seem you have forgotten us; and nothing made you oblivious save that the charms of the bride have disordered your wit and taken your reason, Allah help you! We give you joy, we give you joy." And they mocked at him whilst he kept silence before them, being like to rend his raiment and shed tears for rage.

Then they went away from him, and when it was the hour of noon, up came his mistress, the crafty girl, trailing her skirts and swaying to and fro in her gait, as she were a branch of Ban in a garden of bloom. She was yet more richly dressed and adorned and more striking and cutting in her symmetry and grace than on the previous day, so that she made the passers stop and stand in espalier to gaze upon her. When she came to Ala al-Din's shop, she sat down thereon and said to him, "Blessed be the day to you, O my lord Ala al-Din! Allah prosper you and be good to you and perfect your gladness and make it a wedding of weal and welfare!" He knitted his brows and frowned in answer to her; then he asked, "in which have I failed of your due, or what have I done to harm you, that you should requite me in this way?" She answered, "You have been no wise in default; but 'tis that inscription written on the door of your shop that irks me and vexes my heart. If you have the courage to change it and write up the contrary of it, I will deliver you from yours evil plight."

And he answered, "Your requirement is right easy: on my head and eyes!" So saying, he brought out a sequin and summoning one of his Mamelukes, said to him, "Get you to Such an one the Scribe and bid him write us an epigraph, adorned with gold and lapis lazuli, in these words, THERE BE NO CRAFT SAVE WOMEN'S CRAFT, FOR INDEED THEIR CRAFT IS A MIGHTY CRAFT AND OVERCOMETH AND HUMBLETH THE FALSES OF MEN." And she said to the white slave, "Fare you directly." So he repaired to the Scribe, who wrote him the scroll, and he brought it to his master, who set it on the door and asked the damsel, "Is your heart satisfied?" She answered, "Yes! Arise immediately and get you to the place before the citadel, where do you foregather with all the mountebanks and ape dancers and bear leaders and drummers and pipers and bid them come to you tomorrow early, with their kettledrums and flageolets, whilst you are drinking coffee with your father in law the Kazi, and congratulate you and wish you joy, saying, 'A blessing, O son of our uncle! Indeed, you are the vein of our eye! We rejoice for you, and if you be ashamed of us, truly we pride ourselves upon you; so, although you banish us from you, know that we will not forsake you, albeit you forsake us.'

And do you fall to throwing dinars and dirhams amongst them; whereupon the Kazi will question you, and do you answer him, saying, 'My father was an ape dancer and this is our original condition; but our Lord opened on us the gate of fortune and we have gotten us a name amongst the merchants and with their provost.' Upon this he will say to you, 'Then you are an ape leader of the tribe of the mountebanks?' and do you rejoin, 'I may in nowise deny my origin, for the sake of your daughter and in her honour.' The Kazi will say, 'It may not be that you will be given the daughter of a Shaykh who sits upon the carpet of the Law and whose descent is traceable by genealogy to the loins of the Apostle of Allah, nor is it meet that his daughter be in the power of a man who is an ape dancer, a minstrel.' Then do you reply, 'Nay, O Efendi, she is my lawful wife, and every hair of her is worth

Women's Wiles. 105 a thousand lives, and I will not put her away though I be given the kingship of the world.' At last be you persuaded to speak the word of divorce and so shall the marriage be voided and you be saved each from other." Ala al-Din said, "Right is your advice," and locking up his shop, betook himself to the place — Whereupon cried Dunyazad, her sister, "O sister mine, how goodly is your story and how sweet!" She replied, saying, "And where is this compared with that which I will recount to you next night, God willing!"

The Hundred and Ninety ninth Night.

And whenas came the night, Dunyazad to her sister said, "O sister mine, If you incline not unto sleep, pray finish your tale which shall beguile our watching through the dark hours." She replied: — With love and gladness! It has reached me, O generous King, that the young merchant betook himself to the place before the citadel, where he foregathered with the dancers, the drummers and pipers and instructed them how they should do, promising them a mighty fine reward. They received his word with "Hearing and obeying;" and he betook himself on the morrow, after the morning prayer, to the presence of the Judge, who received him with humble courtesy and seated him by his side. Then he addressed him and began questioning him of matters of selling and buying and of the price current of the various commodities which were carried to Baghdad from all quarters, whilst his son in law replied to all whereof he was questioned. As they were thus conversing, behold, up came the dancers and drummers with their drums and pipers with their pipes, whilst one of their number preceded them, with a long pennon like banner in his hand, and played all manner antics with voice and limbs.

When they came to the Court house, the Kazi cried, "I seek refuge with Allah from that Satans!" And the young merchant laughed but said nothing. Then they entered and saluting his worship the Kazi, kissed Ala al-Din's hands and said, "A blessing on you, O son of our uncle! Indeed, you coolest our eyes in whatever you do, and we beseech Allah for the enduring greatness of our lord the Kazi, who has honoured us by admitting you to his connection and has allotted to us a portion in his high rank and degree." When the Judge heard this talk, it bewildered his wit and he was dazed and his face flushed with rage, and he said to his son in law, "What words are these?" the merchant said, "Know you not, O my lord, that I am of this tribe? Indeed this man is the son of my maternal uncle and that other the son of my paternal uncle, and if I be reckoned of the merchants, 'tis but by courtesy!" When the Kazi heard these words his colour changed —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day, whereupon cried Dunyazad her sister, "O sister mine, how delectable is your story and how desirable!" She replied, saying, "And where is its first compared with its last? But I will immediately relate it to you If I be spared and suffered to live by the King, whom may Allah the Most High keep!" The King within himself said, "By the Almighty, I will not slay her until I hear the end of her tale!"

The Two Hundredth Night.

Now whenas came the night, Dunyazad to her sister said, "O sister mine, If you incline not unto sleep, please finish your tale which shall beguile our watching through the dark hours." She replied: — With love and gladness! The Kazi's colour changed and he was troubled and grew wroth with exceeding wrath and was like to burst for stress of rage. Then he said to the young merchant, "Allah forfend that this should last! How shall it be permitted that the daughter of the Kazi of the Moslems cohabit with a man of the dancers and vile of origin? By God, unless you repudiate her directly, I will bid beat you and cast you into prison and there confine you till you die. Had I foreknown that you were of them, I had not suffered you near me, but had spat in your face, for that you are more ill omened than a dog or a hog." Then he kicked him down from his place and commanded him to divorce; but he said, "Be ruthful to me, O Efendi, for that Allah is ruthful, and hasten not: I will not divorce my wife, though you give me the kingdom of Al-Irak." The Judge was perplexed and knew that compulsion was not permitted of Holy Law; so he bespake

Nur Al-Din Ali Of Damascus And The Damsel 107 the young merchant fair and said to him, "Veil me, so may Allah veil you. If you divorce her not, this dishonour shall cleave to me till the end of time." Then his fury gat the better of his wit and he cried, "If you divorce her not of yours own will, I will directly bid strike off your head and slay myself; Hell flame but not shame." The merchant bethought himself awhile, then divorced her with a manifest divorce and a public and in this way he won free from that unwelcome worry. Then he returned to his shop and presently sought in marriage of her father her who had done with him what she did and who was the daughter of the Shaykh of the guild of the blacksmiths. So he took her to wife and they abode each with other and lived the pleasantest of lives and the most delightsome, till the day of death: and praise be to Allah the Lord of the Three Worlds.