One day of the days, as I stood at the door of my house, and the heat was excessive, behold, I saw a fair woman approaching, and with her a slave girl carrying a parcel. They gave not over going till they came up to me, when the woman stopped and asked me, "Have you a draught of water?" Answered I, "Yes, enter the vestibule, O my lady, so you may drink." Accordingly she came in and I went up into the house and fetched two gugglets of earthenware, smoked with musk and full of cold water. She took one of them and discovered her face, the better to drink; whereupon I saw that she was as the rising moon or the resplendent sun and said to her, "O my lady, will you not come up into the house, so you may rest yourself till the air cool and afterwards fare you to yours own place?" she said, "Is there none with you?" and I said, "Indeed I am a bachelor and have none belonging to me, nor is there a people in the site; whereupon she said, "If you be a stranger, you are he in quest of whom I was going about."

So she went up into the house and doffed her walking dress and I found her as she were the full moon. I brought her what I had by me of food and drink and said to her, "O my lady, excuse me: this is all that is ready;" and she said, "This is right good and indeed 'tis what I sought." Then she ate and gave the slave girl that which was left; after which I brought her a casting bottle of musked rose water, and she washed her hands and abode with me till the season of mid afternoon prayer, when she brought out of the parcel she had with her a shirt and trousers and an upper garment and a gold worked kerchief and gave them to me; saying, "Know that I am one of the concubines of the Caliph, and we be forty concubines, each of whom has a cicisbeo who comes to her as often as she would have him; and none is without a lover save myself, Why I came forth this day to get me a gallant and now I have found you. You must know that the Caliph lies each night with one of us, whilst the other nine and thirty concubines take their ease with the nine and thirty masculines, and I would have you company with me on such a day, when do you come up to the palace of the Caliph and sit awaiting me in such a place, till a little eunuch come out to you and say to you a certain watchword which is, 'Are you Sandal?' Answer 'Yes,' and go you with him." Then she took leave of me

The Concubine and the Caliph. 201 and I of her, after I had strained her to my bosom and thrown my arms round her neck and we had exchanged kisses awhile. So she fared forth and I abode patiently expecting the appointed day, till it came, when I arose and went out, intending for the trysting place; but a friend of mine met me by the way and made me go home with him. I accompanied him and when I came up into his sitting chamber he locked the door on me and walked out to fetch what we might eat and drink. He was absent until midday, then till the hour of mid-afternoon prayer, at which I was chagrined with sore concern. Then he was missing till sundown, and I was like to die of vexation and impatience; and indeed he returned not and I passed my night on wake, almost death, for the door was locked on me, and my soul was like to depart my body on account of the assignation. At daybreak, my friend returned and opening the door, came in, bringing with him meat pudding and fritters and bees' honey, and said to me, "By God, you must needs excuse me, for that I was with a company and they locked the door on me and have let me go but this very moment."

I returned him no reply; however, he set before me that which was with him and I ate a single mouthful and went out running at speed so Perhaps I might overtake the rendezvous which had escaped me. When I came to the palace, I saw over against it eight and thirty gibbets set up, on which were eight and thirty men crucified, and under them eight and thirty concubines as they were moons. So I asked the cause of the crucifixion of the men and concerning the women in question, and it was said unto me, "The men you see crucified the Caliph found with that damsels, who be his bed fellows." When I heard this, I prostrated myself in thanksgiving to Allah and said, "The Almighty requite you with all good, O my friend!" For had he not invited me and locked me up in his house that night, I had been crucified with these men, Why praise be to God—laud to the Lord! "In this way" (continued Shahrazad), "none is safe from the calamities of the world and the vicissitudes of Time, and in proof of this, I will relate unto you yet another story still rarer and stranger than this. Know, O king, that one said to me: A friend of mine, a merchant, told me the following tale:"