give it to the Crier that he may cry about the city, ’Whoso lighteth wick after supper-tide shall have his head set under his heels.’” The Sultan rejoined, “This thy rede is right.”  Accordingly, on the next day the King wrote his letter and gave it to the Crier bidding him fare through the city and forbid the lighting of lamps after night-prayers; and the man took the royal rescript and set it in a green bag.  Then he went forth and cried about the street saying, “According to the commandment of our King, the Lord of prosperity and Master of the necks of God’s servants, if any light wick after night-prayers his head shall be set under his heels, his good shall be spoiled and his women shall be cast into jail.”  And the Crier stinted not crying through the town during the first day and the second and the third, until he had gone round the whole place; nor was there a citizen but who knew the ordinance.  Now the King waited patiently till after the proclamation of the third day; but on the fourth night he and his Minister went down from the palace in disguise after supper-tide to pry about the wards and espy into the lattices of the several quarters.  They found no light till they came to the ward where the three damsels lived, and the Sultan, happening to glance in such a direction, saw the gleam of a lamp in one of the tenements.  So he said to the Wazir, “Ho! there is a wick alight.”  Presently they drew near it and found that it was within one of the marked houses; wherefore they came to a stand and knocked at the door,—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say.  Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us 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 when the Sultan and the Wazir stood over against the door behind which was the light and knocked at it, the youngest of the sisters cried out, “Who is at the door?” and they replied, “Guests and Darwayshes.”  She rejoined, “What can you want at this hour and what can have belated you?” And they, “We be men living in a Khan; but we have lost our way thither and we fear to happen upon the Chief of Police.  So of your bountiful kindness open ye to us and house us for the remnant of the night; and such charity shall gain you reward in Heaven.”  Hereto the mother added, “Go open to them the door!” and the youngest of the maidens came forward and opened