When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old trot told the merchant the provenance of the scones, he cried, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” And he repeated the saying of the Most High, “Whatever evil falleth to thee it is from thyself;"[FN#169] and vomited till he fell sick and repented whenas repentance availed him naught.  “Moreover, O King” (continued the second Wazir), “I have heard tell, of the malice of women, a tale of

The Lady and her Two Lovers.

Once upon a time there was a man, who was sword-bearer to one of the Kings, and he loved a damsel of the common sort.  One day, he sent his page to her with a message, as of wont between them, and the lad sat down with her and toyed with her.  She inclined to him and pressed him to her breast and groped him and kissed him whereupon he sought carnal connection of her and she consented; but, as the two were thus, lo! the youth’s master knocked at the door.  So she pushed the page through a trapdoor into an underground chamber there and opened the door to his lord, who entered hending sword in hand and sat down upon her bed.  Then she came up to him and sported and toyed with him, kissing him and pressing him to her bosom, and he took her and lay with her.  Presently, her husband knocked at the door and the gallant asked her, “Who is that?”; whereto she answered, “My husband.”  Quoth he, “How shall I do?” Quoth she, “Draw thy sword and stand in the vestibule and abuse me and revile me; and when my husband comes in to thee, do thou go forth and wend thy ways.”  He did as she bade him; and, when the husband entered, he saw the King’s sword-bearer standing with naked brand in hand, abusing and threatening his wife; but, when the lover saw him, he was ashamed and sheathing his scymitar, went forth the house.  Said the man to his wife, “What means this?”; and she replied, “O man, how blessed is the hour of thy coming!  Thou hast saved a True Believer from slaughter, and it happed after this fashion.  I was on the house-terrace, spinning,[FN#170] when behold, there came up to me a youth, distracted and panting for fear of death, fleeing from yonder man, who followed upon him as hard as he could with his drawn sword.  The young man fell down before me, and kissed my hands and feet, saying, “O Protector, of thy mercy, save me from him who would slay me wrongously!” So I hid him in that underground chamber of ours and presently in came yonder man to me, naked brand in hand, demanding the youth.  But I denied him to him, whereupon he fell to abusing and threatening me as thou sawest.  And praised be Allah who sent thee to me, for I was distraught and had none to deliver me!” “Well hast thou done, O woman!” answered the husband.  “Thy reward is with Allah the Almighty, and may He abundantly requite thy good deed!” Then he went to the trap door