that we may taste them:  so give me a platter and a lamp that I may fetch thee somewhat of them.”  His wife, an honest woman and an upright, made answer, “Allah forbid that thou shouldst do a deed so base and break thy word and covenant.  Who can tell?  Thou art not assured by any of his death; perchance he may come back from Egypt safe and sound tomorrow or the day after; then wilt thou, an thou cannot deliver unharmed to him what he hath left in pledge, be ashamed of this thy broken troth and we shall be disgraced before man and dishonoured in the presence of thy friend.  I will not for my part have any hand in such meanness nor will I taste the olives; furthermore, it standeth not to reason that after seven years’ keeping they should be fit to eat.  I do implore thee to forswear this ill purpose.”  On such wise the merchant’s wife protested and prayed her husband that he meddle not with Ali Khwajah’s olives, and shamed him of his intent so that for the nonce he cast the matter from his mind.  However, although the trader refrained that evening from taking Ali Khwajah’s olives, yet he kept the design in memory until one day when, of his obstinacy and unfaith, he resolved to carry out his project; and rising up walked towards the store-room dish in hand.  By chance he met his wife who said, “I am no partner with thee in this ill-action:  in very truth some evil shall befal thee an thou do such deed.”  He heard her but heeded her not; and, going to the store-room opened the jar and found the olives spoiled and white with mould; but presently he tilted up the jar and pouring some of its contents into the dish, suddenly saw an Ashrafi fall from the vessel together with the fruit.  Then, filled with greed, he turned out all that was within into another jar and wondered with exceeding wonder to find the lower half full of golden coins.  Presently, putting up the moneys and the olives he closed the vessel and going back said to his wife, “Thou spakest sooth, for I have examined the jar and have found the fruit mouldy and foul of smell; wherefore I returned it to its place and left it as it was aforetime.”  That night the merchant could not sleep a wink for thinking of the gold and how he might lay hands thereon; and when morning morrowed he took out all the Ashrafis and buying some fresh olives in the Bazar filled up the jar with them and closed the mouth and set it in its usual place.  Now it came to pass by Allah’s mercy that at the end of the month Ali Khwajah returned safe and sound to Baghdad; and he first went to his old friend, to wit, the merchant who, greeting him with feigned joy, fell on his neck, but withal was sore troubled and perplexed at what might happen.  After salutations and much rejoicing on either part Ali Khwajah bespake the merchant on business and begged that he might take back his jar of Asafiri-olives which he had placed in charge of his familiar.  Quoth the merchant to Ali Khwajah, “O my friend, I wot not where thou didst leave thy jar of olives;