The Story of the Crone and the Draper’s Wife.[FN#490]

There was once a man of the Drapers, who had a beautiful wife, and she was curtained[FN#491] and chaste.  A certain young man saw her coming forth of the Hammam and loved her and his heart was engrossed with her.  So he devised for access to her all manner of devices, but availed not to foregather with her; and when he was a-weary and his patience failed for travail and trouble and his fortitude betrayed and forsook him and he was at an end of his resources against her, he complained of this to an ill-omened crone,[FN#492] who promised him to bring about union between him and his beloved.  He thanked her for this and promised her all manner of douceurs; and she said to him, “Hie thee to her husband and buy of him a turband-cloth of fine linen, and let it be of the very best of stuff.”  So he repaired to the Draper and buying of him a turband-cloth of lawn, returned and gave it to the old woman, who took it and burned it in two places.  Then she donned the dress of a devotee and taking the turband-cloth with her, went to the Draper’s house and knocked at the door.  When the Draper’s wife saw her thus habited as a holy woman, she opened to her and admitted her with kindly reception, and made much of her and welcomed her:  so the crone went in to her and conversed with her awhile.  Then said she to her, “I want to make the Wuzu-ablution preparatory to prayer."[FN#493] At these words the wife brought the water and she made the ablution and standing up to pray, prayed and satisfied herself; and when she had ended her orisons, she left the turband-cloth in the place of prayer and fared forth.  Presently, in came the Draper, at the hour of night-devotions, and sitting down in the prayer-place where the old woman had prayed, looked about him and espied the turband.  He knew it and suspected foul play; so wrath showed in his face and he was furious with his wife and reviled her and abode his day and his night without speaking to her, during all which while she knew not the cause of his rage.  Then she looked and seeing the turband-cloth before him and noting the traces of burning thereon, understood that his anger was on account of this and concluded that he was in ill-temper because it was burnt.  When the morning morrowed, the Draper went out, still wroth with his wife, and the crone returned to her and found her changed of colour, pale of complexion, dejected and heart-broken.  So she questioned her of the cause, and the wife told her how her husband was angered against her on account of the burns in the turband-cloth.[FN#494] Rejoined the old woman, “O my daughter, be not chagrined; for I have a son, a fine-drawer, and he, by thy life, shall fine-draw the holes and restore the turband-cloth as it was.”  The wife rejoiced in her saying and asked her, “And when shall this be?” The crone answered, “To-morrow, Inshallah—­an it please Allah the Most High—­I will bring him to thee, at the time of thy husband’s going