The end of the Six Hundred and Thirteenth Night.

Then said she:—­I have heard, O auspicious King, that Sidi Nu’uman continued his story as follows—­The shopkeeper, despite his scruples of conscience, which caused him to hold all dogs impure,[FN#265] hath ruth upon my sorry plight and drove away the yelling and grinning curs that would have followed me into his shop; and I, escaping this danger of doom, passed all the night hid in my corner.  Early next morning the butcher sallied forth to buy his usual wares, sheeps’ heads and hooves, and, coming back with a large supply, he began to lay them out for sale within the shop, when I, seeing that a whole pack of dogs had gathered about the place attracted by the smell of flesh, also joined them.  The owner noticed me among the ragged tykes and said to himself, “This dog hath tasted naught since yesterday when it ran yelping hungrily and hid within my shop.”  He then threw me a fair sized piece of meat, but I refused it and went up to him and wagged my tail to the end that he might know my wish to stay with him and be protected by his stall:  he, however, thought that I had eaten my sufficiency, and, picking up a staff frightened me away.  So when I saw how the butcher heeded not my case, I trotted off and wandering to and fro presently came to a bakery and stood before the door wherethrough I espied the baker at breakfast.  Albeit I made no sign as though I wanted aught of food, he threw me a bittock of bread; and I, in lieu of snapping it up and greedily swallowing it, as is the fashion with all dogs the gentle and simple of them, approached him with it and gazed in his face and wagged my tail by way of thanks.  He was pleased by this my well bred behaviour and smiled at me; whereat I albeit not one whit anhungered, but merely to humour him, fell to eating the bread, little by little and leisurely, to testify my respect.  He was yet more satisfied with my manners and wished to keep me in his shop; and I, noting his intent, sat by the door and looked wistfully at him, whereby he knew that I desired naught of him save his protection.  He then caressed me and took charge of me and kept me to guard his store, but I would not enter his house till after he had led the way; he also showed me where to lie o’nights and fed me well at every meal and entreated me right hospitably.  I likewise would watch his every movement and always lay down or rose up even as he bade me; and whenas he left his lodging or walked anywhither he took me with him.  If ever when I lay asleep he went outside and found me not, he would stand still in the street and call to me crying, “Bakht!’ Bakht!’’[FN#266] an auspicious name he had given to me; and straightway on hearing him I would rush about and frisk before the door; and when he set out to taste the air I paced beside him now running on ahead, now following at his heels and ever and anon looking up in his face.  Thus some time passed during which I lived with him