It is said that in Misr lived a woman, a model of beauty and loveliness and stature and perfect grace, who had a difficulty with a man which was a Kazi and in this way it befell. She was the wife of an Emir and she was wont to visit the Baths once a month; and when the appointed term for her going forth had come, she adorned herself and perfumed herself and beautified herself and hastened, tripping and stumbling, to the Hammám. Now her path passed by the Kazi's court house where she saw many a man and she stopped to enjoy the spectacle, upon which the Judge himself glanced at her with a glance of eyes that bequeathed to him a thousand sighs and he asked saying, "O woman, have you any want?" "No indeed," answered she, "I have none."

Then he inclined to her and drawing near her said, "O lady my and O light of these eyne, is union possible between us twain?" She replied, " 'Tis possible," and he enquired of her when it could be, and she made an appointment with him saying, "Do you come to me after supper time,"

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 King permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Thirty 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 Goodwife said to the Kazi, "Do you come to me after supper time," and went her ways and entered the Hammam, where she washed herself and cleaned herself; then, coming out thence, she determined to go home. But she was met on her road by a Gentleman who was Sháhbandar of the Trader guild, and he seeing her set his affections upon her; so he accosted her, saying, "Is't possible that we ever be merry together?" at this she appointed him to come when supper was done, after which she left him and ganged her gait. As she neared her home she was met by a Butcher whose heart inclined to her, so he addressed her saying, "Is union possible?" and she appointed him to visit her an hour after supper had been eaten. Then she went home and mounting the stairs took seat in the upper saloon open to the air, where she doffed her head veil and all that was upon her head. Now in the neighbourhood of her house was a Trader and he had mounted to the terrace roof for a reason; so when the woman bared her hair and taking up a comb began to dry and prepare it for dressing, his eyes fell upon her whilst so engaged, and his heart was engrossed with her love. Presently, he sent to her an old woman; and she returned him a reply and appointed him to visit her house during the night after supper tide. in this way she had promised herself to four men. Now the Kazi had got ready for her a Kohl style and

The Goodwife and Her Four Gallants. 195 the Gentleman had prepared for her a fine suit of clothes and the Butcher had led for her a full sized ram and the Trader had set apart for her two pieces of silk. As soon as it was supper time, behold, the Kazi repaired to her in privacy bringing his gift and knocked at the door which he found unbolted and she cried to him, "Come in." Accordingly he entered to her and presented to her that which was with him, but hardly had he settled himself comfortably in his seat when the Gentleman arrived and also rapped. the Kazi to the Goodwife said, "Who may this be?" and Both she, "Fear you nothing, but arise and doff your dress;" so he stripped himself altogether and she garbed him in a gaberdine and bonnet and hid him in a closet and went to open the door. Hereupon appeared the Consul and she let him in and accepted what he had brought and seated him beside her. But hardly had he settled down when, behold, there came a knock at the door and he cried, "Who may that be?" She said, "Fear nothing but up and doff your dress;" so he arose and stripped himself and she disguised him in a gaberdine and bonnet and hid him in another closet all alone. Then she hastened to the door and suddenly the Flesher man appeared and she let him in and led him within and having accepted his present seated him; but hardly was he at his ease when the door was again knocked, at which he was overcome and affrighted: however, she said to him, "Fear nothing, but arise and doff your dress in order that I may hide you."

So he threw off his clothes and she invested him in a gaberdine and a bonnet and thrust him into a third cabinet. After this she went and opened the door when there came to her the Trader who was her neighbour, so she let him in and took what was with him, and seated him; and he was proceeding to sit down in comfort when behold, some one knocked at the door and he said, "Who may that be?" Hereupon she cried, "O my honour! O my calamity! This is my husband who but yesterday killed off four men; however do you rise up and doff your dress.

"He did as she bade him, upon which she garbed him in a gaberdine and a bonnet and laid him in a fourth closet. So these four one and all found themselves in as many cabinets sorely sorrowful and fearful; but she went forth and suddenly her mate the Emir came in and took seat upon a chair that was in the house. at this all four sensed that she had opened to her husband and had admitted him; and they said in their minds, "Yesterday he killed four men and now he will kill me." And each and every considered his own affair and determined in his mind what should happen to him from the husband. Such was the case with these four; but as regards the housemaster, when he took seat upon the chair, he fell to chatting with his wife and asking her saying, "What have you seen this day during your walk to the Hammam?" She said, "O my lord, I have witnessed four adventures and on every one hangs a wondrous tale!"

Now when the four heard the Goodwife speaking these words each of them said to himself, "Indeed I am a dead man and 'tis the intention of this woman to peach upon me."

Presently, her husband he asked, "What be these four histories?" and answered she, "I saw four men each and every of whom was an antic fellow, a droll, a buffoon; furthermore, O my lord, one and all of them were garbed in gaberdine and bonnet."

Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet and tasteful is your tale, 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 Seven Hundred and Forty first 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

The Goodwife and Her Four Gallants. 197 benefiting and of deeds fair seeming and worthy celebrating, that the woman said to her husband, "Moreover each of the four was habited in gaberdine and bonnet." But when the amourists heard these words every one of them said to himself, "Here be a judgment this strumpet of a woman has wrought upon us, the whore! The witch!" And her husband understanding what she told him asked, "Why did you not bring them here that the sight might solace us?" "O my lord," answered she, "had I brought them what had you said to them? indeed I fear me you would have slain them!" And he, "No indeed; I would not have killed them, for they are but buffoon folk, and we should have enjoyed their harlequinades and would have made them dance to us a wee and all and some tell us tales to gladden our minds; after which we would have suffered them depart and go about their own business." The wife enquired, "And given that they knew neither dancing nor story telling what had you done with them?" and he replied, "Had the case been as you say and they ignorant of all this, truly we would have killed them and cast them into the chapel of ease." The four men hearing such threatening words muttered to themselves, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great;" but the Kazi said in his mind, "How remain Judge of this city when I shall have been found garbed in gaberdine and bonnet and dancing and tale telling? and indeed this is the greater death. Allah bring to ruin this adulteress of a woman!"

Then the Flesher took thought as follows, "How shall I continue to be Chief of the Butchers when I prance about with a bonnet on my head? this is indeed a painful penalty!"

Then the Gentleman said the Consul, "How shall it be with me when I am seen dancing and donning a bonnet? indeed death by the sword were lighter than this!"

Then muttered the Trader which was the woman's neighbour, " 'Tis easier to kill myself with my own hand than to endure all such ill." soon the woman said to her husband, "God willing—God willing—on the morrow we will bring them here to your house that we may solace ourselves therewith;" but he said, "Walláhi, had you brought them this night 'twere better, for that tomorrow evening I have business in the house of the Chief Emir." she said to him, "Now grant me immunity and give me permission and I will arise and bring them to you at this moment, but each must come to you alone and by himself." he said, "O Woman, leave I do give you and immunity I do grant you;" whereupon she rose without delay and went to the closet in which was the Judge. Then she opened it and entered, and taking him by the hand dragged him forward and came out with him and set him before her spouse garbed as he was in gaberdine and bonnet. The house master scrutinised him and was certified of his being the Kazi and said to him, "Blessed be to you, O our lord, this bonnet and this gaberdine which become you passing well."

But the Judge, as he stood before the presence of the woman's husband, bowed his front downwards and was clothed as with a garment in the sweat of shame and was sore abashed, when the Emir said to him, "O our lord the Kazi, do you dance for us a wee the baboon dance and rejoice us; after which performance do you tell us a tale that our breasts may by that be broadened." But when the man said this to him, the Judge feared for his life because he had heard and well remembered the words of the householder and he fell to clapping his palms and prancing to right and left. Hereupon the Emir laughed consumedly, he and his wife, and they signed and signalled each to other deriding the judicial dance, and the Kazi did not stop skipping until he fell to the floor for his fatigue. Hereupon the man said to him, "Basta! Now tell us your tale that we may rejoice at that; then do you rise up and go about your business." "I hear and I obey," said the Judge and directly he began to relate the adventure of