even in a dream, rain or lightning last night?  Thou hast utterly ruined my house and ancient family.  My wife is the most virtuous woman of the age and all thine accusations of her are lies.”  So in his wrath he dashed the cage upon the ground, tore off the parrot’s head, and threw it from the window.  Presently his friend, coming to call upon him, saw the parrot in this condition with head torn off, and without wings or plumage.  Being informed of the circumstances he suspected some trick on the part of the woman, and said to the husband, “When your wife leaves home to go to the Hammam-bath, compel her confidante to disclose the secret.”  So as soon as his wife went out, the husband entered his Harim and insisted on the woman telling him the truth.  She recounted the whole story and the husband now bitterly repented having killed the parrot, of whose innocence he had proof.  “This I tell thee, O King (continued the Wazir), that thou mayst know how great are the craft and malice of women and that to act in haste leadeth to repent at leisure.”  So the King turned from slaying his son:  but, next day, the favourite came in to him and, kissing the ground before him, said, “O King, why dost thou delay to do me justice?  Indeed, the Kings have heard that thou commandest a thing and thy Wazir countermandeth it.  Now the obedience of Kings is in the fulfilment of their commandments, and every one knows thy justice and equity:  so do thou justice for me on the Prince.  I also have heard tell a tale concerning

The Fuller and his Son.

There was once a man which was a fuller, and he used every day to go forth to the Tigris-bank a-cleaning clothes; and his son was wont to go with him that he might swim whilst his father was fulling, nor was he forbidden from this.  One day, as the boy was swimming,[FN#165] he was taken with cramp in the forearms and sank, whereupon the fuller plunged into the water and caught hold of him; but the boy clung about him and pulled him down and so father and son were both drowned.  “Thus it is with thee, O King.  Except thou prevent thy son and do me justice on him, I fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he.”—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

       When it Was the Five Hundred and Eightieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the favourite had told her tale of the Fuller and his son, she ended with, “I fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he.  Moreover,” continued she, “for an instance of the malice of men, I have heard tell a tale concerning

The Rake’s Trick against the Chaste Wife.