the road.  Each of the twain wished to know the name of his comrade and Abu Niyyah asked his fellow, saying, “O my brother, what may be thy name?” whereto the other answered, “I am called Abu Niyyatayn—­the two-minded.”  “And I am Abu Niyyah!” cried the other, and his fellow-traveller questioned him, saying, “Hast thou with thee aught of money?” Whereto he replied, “I have with me a single Ashrafi and no more.”  Quoth the other, “But I have ten gold pieces, so do thou have a care of them and the same will be eleven.”  Abu Niyyan accepted the charge and they went upon the road together and as often as they entered a town they nighted therein for a single night or two and in the morning they departed therefrom.  This continued for a while of time until they made a city which had two gates and Abu Niyyah forewent his fellow through one of the entrances and suddenly heard an asker which was a slave begging and saying, “O ye beneficent, O doers of good deeds, an alms shall bring ten-fold.”  And, as the chattel drew near[FN#395] and Abu Niyyah noted his words, his heart was softened and he gave him his single Ashrafi; whereupon his comrade looked upon him and asked, “What hast thou doled to him?” Answered he, “An Ashrafi;” and quoth the other, “Thou hast but a single gold piece while I have ten;” so he took the joint stock from him and left him and went his way.—­And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.  Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Four Hundred and Seventy-third Night

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the man Abu Niyyatayn took from Abu Niyyah the ten Ashrafis[FN#396] and said to him, “The gold piece belonging to thee thou hast given to the asker;” then, carrying away the other ten he left him and went about his business.  Now Abu Niyyah had with him not a single copper neither aught of provaunt so he wandered about the town to find a Cathedral-mosque and seeing one he went into it and made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed that which was incumbent on him of obligatory prayers.  Then he seated himself to rest until the hour of the sunset devotions and he said to himself “Ho, Such-an-one! this be a time when no one knoweth thee; so go forth and fare round about the doors and have a heed, haply Allah Almighty our Lord shall give thee somewhat of daily bread thou shalt eat blessing the creator.”  Hereupon he went forth the Mosque