Then she spake concerning the predestination of the Creator till she could say no more thereof.  Presently we departed that stead and we travelled till we came to a town of the towns frequented by merchants, where we hired us a lodging and furnished it with mats and necessaries.  Here I asked for a Kazi and they pointed out to me one of them amongst the judges of the place whom I summoned with two of his witnesses; then I made one of them deputy[FN#390] for my cousin and was married to her and went in unto her and I said to myself, “All things depend upon Fate and Lot.”  After that I tarried with her for a full told year in that same town, a disease befel her and she drew nigh unto death.  Hereat quoth she to me, “Allah upon thee, O son of my uncle, when I shall be dead and gone and the Destiny of Allah shall come upon thee and drive thee to marry again, take not to wife any but a virgin-girl or haply do thou wed one who hath known man but once;[FN#391] for by Allah, O my cousin, I will say thee nothing but sooth when I tell thee that the delight of that dog-faced baboon who deflowered me hath remained with me ever since."[FN#392] So saying she expired[FN#393] and her soul fled forth her flesh.  I brought to her a woman who washeth the dead and shrouded her and buried her; and after her decease I went forth from the town until Time bore me along and I became a wanderer and my condition was changed and I fell into this case.  And no one knew me or aught of my affairs till I came and made friends with yonder two men.  Now the King hearing these words marvelled at his adventure and what had betided him from the Shifts of Time and his heart was softened to him and he largessed him and his comrades and sent them about their business.  Then quoth one of the bystanders to the King, “O Sultan, I know a tale still rarer than this;” and quoth the King, “Out with it;” whereat the man began to relate

The history of Abu Niyyah and Abu
Niyyatayn[FN#394]

It is recounted that in Mosel was a king and he was Lord of moneys and means and troops and guards.  Now in the beginning of his career his adventures were strange for that he was not of royal rank or race, nor was he of the sons of Kings but prosperity met him because of the honesty of his manners and morals.  His name was Abu Niyyah, the single-minded—­and he was so poor that he had naught of worldly weal, so quoth he to himself, “Remove thee from this town and haply Allah will widen thy means of livelihood inasmuch as the byword said, ’Travel, for indeed much of the joys of life are in travelling.’” So he fixed his mind upon removal from the town; and, having very few articles of his own, he sold them for a single dinar which he took and fared forth from his place of birth seeking another stead.  Now when journeying he sighted following him a man who was also on the move and he made acquaintance with him and the two fell to communing together upon