In the beginning of my career I owned only a single bull and poverty confused my wits. Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet and tasteful is your tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the Sovran permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three hundred and Ninety eighth Night

Dunyazad said to her, "In God's name, O my sister, If you be other than sleepy, finish for us your tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It has reached me,the director, the right guiding, lord of the counsel which is benefiting and of deeds fair seeming and worthy celebrating, that the

Bhang eater said to the Sultan: I had no property save a single bull and poverty confused my wits. So I resolved to sell Roger and going to the Bazar stood within it expecting someone to buy it, but none came to me until the last of the day. At that time I drove it forth and dragged it off till we reached half way to my home, where I came upon a tree and sat down to rest in the cool shade. Now I had something of Bhang with me, also a trifle of bread which I brought out and ate, and after I drank a draught of water from the spring. Presently, the Bhang began to wobble in my brains and behold a bird in the tree top which men call a Magpie fell a cawing, so I said to her, "You, O Mother of Solomon, have you a mind to buy the bull?" and she cawed again. I continued, "whatever price ever you set upon the bull, at that will I cede it to you." Again a croak, and I, "Perhaps you have brought no money?" Another croak and cried I, "Say the word and I will leave the bull with you till next Friday when you will come and pay me its price."

But she still cawed, and I, whenever she opened beak,fancied that she bespake me and wanted the bull. But all this was of the excess of my Bhang which kept working in my brains and I mistook the croaking for her conversing. Accordingly I left with her the bull bound to the tree and turned towards my village; and, when I went in to my wife, she asked me anent the bull and I told her of my selling it to the Mother of Solomon. "Who may she be?" asked my rib, and I replied, "She dwells in that tree;" at which my spouse rejoined "Allah compensate you with welfare." So I awaited patiently the appointed term; then, after swallowing something of Bhang, I repaired to the tree and sat beneath it when, lo and behold! the pie cawed and I cried to her, "Have you brought the coin?" A second caw! Then i said, "Come here and bring me the money." A third caw! At this I grew wroth and arose and taking up a bittock of brick I threw it at her as she sat perched upon the tree, whereupon she flew off and alit upon an 'old man' of clay close by. So it occurred to my mind,

The Bhang Eater and His Wife. 157

"By God, the Mother of Solomon bids me follow her and recover the value of the bull from that 'old man.' " Presently, I went up to it and digging within it suddenly came upon a crock full of gold wherefrom I took ten ashrafis, the value of the bull, and returned it to its place, saying, "Allah ensure your weal, O Mother of Solomon." Then I walked back to my village and went in to my wife and said, "By God, truly the Mother of Solomon is of the righteous! Lookye, she gave me these ten golden ducats to the price of our Roger." Said my wife, "And who may be the Mother of Solomon?" and I told her all that had befallen me especially in the matter of the crock of gold buried in the 'old man.' But after she heard my words she tarried until sundown; then, going to the land mark she dug into it and carrying off the crock brought it home privily. But I suspected her of so doing and said to her, "O woman, have you taken the good of the Mother of Solomon (and she of the righteous) after we have received from her the price of our Roger out of her own moneys? And have you gone and appropriated her property? By God, If you restore it not to its stead even as it was, I will report to the Wálí that my wife has happened upon treasure trove."

And so saying I went forth from her. Then she arose and got ready something of dough for cooking with flesh meat and, sending for a fisherman, bade him bring her a few fishes fresh caught and all alive, and taking these inside the house she drew sweet water and sprinkled them therewith, and lastly she placed the dough and meat outside the house ready for nightfall. Presently, I returned and we supped, I and she; but 'twas my firm resolve to report my wife's find to the Chief of Police. We slept together till midnight when she awoke me saying, "O man, I have dreamed a dream, and this it is, that the sky has rained down drink and meat and that the fishes have entered our house."

I replied to her of my folly and the overmuch Bhang which disported in my head, "Let us get up and look." So we searched the inside of the house and we found the fishes, and the outside where we came upon the doughboy and flesh meat; so we fell to picking it up, I and she, and broiling it and eating of it till morning. Then i said, "Do you go and return the moneys of Solomon's Mother to their own place." But she would not and flatly refused. Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet is your story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the Sovran permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three hundred and Ninety ninth Night

Dunyazad said to her, "In God's name, O my sister, If you be other than sleepy, finish for us your tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It has reached me,the director, the right guiding, lord of the counsel which is benefiting and of deeds fair seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Bhang eater continued: I said to my wife, "Do you go and return the moneys of Solomon's Mother to their own place;" but she would not and flatly refused. Then I repeated my words but without avail, so I flew into a fury and leaving her did not stop trudging till I found the Wali and said to him, "O my lord, my wife Such an one has hit upon a hoard and 'tis now with her." The Chief of Police asked, "O man, have you seen it?" and I answered, "Yes." So he sent a body of his followers to bring her before him and when she came said to her, "O woman, where is the treasure trove?" She said, "O my lord, this report is a baseless;" whereupon the Chief of Police bade her be led to jail. They did his bidding and she abode in the prison a whole day, after which the Wali summoned her and repeated his words to her adding,

The Bhang Eater and His Wife. 159

"If you bring not the hoard I will slay you and cast your corpse into the bogshop of the Hammam." The woman (my wife) rejoined, "O my lord, I never found anything;" and when he persisted threatening her death she cried, "O my lord, Why oppress me in this way and charge such load of sin upon yours own neck? I never came upon treasure at all, at all!" The Chief of Police retorted, "My first word and my last are these: Except you bring the treasure trove I will slay you and cast you into the jakes." Herewith she said, "O my lord, ask my husband where it was I hit upon the hoard and at what time, by day or by night," and the Wali's men cried, "By God, these her words are just and right, nor is within it anything of harm." So he sent to summon me and asked me, "O man, when did your wife hit upon the hoard?" I answered, "O my lord, she found it on the night when the skies rained drink and food and fishes."

Now when the Wali heard my words he said to me, "O man, the skies are not wont to shed anything save rainwater; and a man in his right wits speaks not such speech as this." I said, "By the life of your head, O my lord, they did rain all three of them;" but the officers cried, "O my lord, truly this man be Jinn mad and his wife who tells plain truth is wronged by him: the fellow deserves confining in the Máristán." Accordingly the Chief of Police bade the men set the woman free and let her go on their way and seize me and throw me into the madhouse. They did his bidding and I remained there the first day and the second till the third when my wife said to herself, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! By the Lord, needs must I go and relieve my husband from Bedlam and charge him never again to speak of that treasure trove." So she came to the Maristan and entering said to me, "Ho, Such an one, if any ask of you saying, 'What do the skies rain?' do you make answer, 'They rain water!'

Furthermore if they inquire of you, 'Do they ever rain drink and food and fishes?' reply you, 'This is clean impossible, nor can such thing ever take place!' Then Perhaps they will say to you, 'How many days are in the week?' and do you say, 'Seven days and this day be such a day!' Lastly have a guard on yourself when speaking." I rejoined, " 'Tis well, and now hie you forth and buy me half a faddah's worth of Bhang, for during these days I have not eaten anything of it." So she went and bought me something of food and of Hashish: Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet and tasteful is your tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the Sovran permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Four Hundredth Night

Dunyazad said to her, "In God's name, O my sister, If you be other than sleepy, finish for us your tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It has reached me,the director, the right guiding, lord of the counsel which is benefiting and of deeds fair seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Bhang eater's wife fared forth and brought back something of food and of Hashish: then returning to the Maristan (he continued) she gave both to me and I ate of them, after which I said to her, "Let us up and be off!" Whereto she, "And when we go to the Wall what will you say?" Then the Bhang wrought in my brains and I cried, "O bawd, O my nice young lady, well you know that the skies did rain flesh and drink and fishes! Why then did you not tell the truth before the Chief of Police?" Thereupon the Manager of the Madhouse cried to me, "O fellow, this is the babble of madmen!" And I, "By God, I ate of them boiled; and doubtless the same kind of rain fell in your house." The other exclaimed, "There be nor doubt nor hesitation anent the insanity

How Drummer Abu Kasim Became a Kazi. 161 of one who says such say!" Now all this was related by the Bhang eater to the Sultan who marvelled and asked him, "What could have made you go to the Manager and recount to him such absurdities?" But the Bhang eater resumed, saying, "I dwelt in the Maristan twenty days until at last having no Bhang to eat I came to my senses and confessed that the skies shed only rain water, that the week contains seven days and that this day be such and such; in fact I discoursed like a man in his right mind. So they discharged me and I went my ways." But when the Kazi heard this tale he cried out to the Sultan, ", my story is still more wondrous than this, which is only a prank played by a wife. My name was originally Abú Kásim al-Tambúrí and I was appointed Kazi after a neat thing I did, and if you, O our lord the Sultan, desire to be told of the adventures which befell me and of the clever trick wherefor they made me a judge, deign give your commandment and I will commence it." the Sultan said, "Recount to us why and where they entitled you Kazi," and the judge began to relate