And when he paid me the moneys I gave her the divorce and took the coin and went to my shop, rejoicing at having escaped by this contrivance.  On the next day, behold, came the damsel who had taught me the sleight and saluted me and wished me good morning.  I returned her salam and indeed, O our lord the Sultan, she was a model of beauty and loveliness, stature and symmetrical grace and my heart was enmeshed in her love for the excess of her charms and the limpid flow of her speech and the sweetness of her tongue.  So I said to her, “And when this promise?” and said she, “I am the daughter of Such-andsuch, a cook in such a quarter; and do thou go ask me in marriage of him.”  So I rose up with all haste and went to her father and prayed that he would give her to me.  And presently I wedded her and went in unto her and found her as the full moon of the fourteenth night and was subjugated by her seemlihead.  Such, then, is the adventure which befel me; but, O my lord the Sultan, the Story of the Sage Such-an-one and his Scholar is more wonderful and delectable; for indeed ’tis of the marvels of the age and among the miracles which have been seen by man.  Thereupon the Sovran bade him speak, and the Second Lunatic proceeded to recount the

Story of the Sage and the Scholar.[FN#115]

There was in times of yore and in ages long gone before a learned man who had retired from the world secluding himself in an upper cell of a Cathedral-mosque, and this place he left not for many days save upon the most pressing needs.  At last a beautiful boy whose charms were unrivalled in his time went in to him and salam’d to him.  The Shaykh returned the salute and welcomed him with the fairest welcome and courteously entreated him seating him beside himself.  Then he asked him of his case and whence he came and the boy answered, “O my lord, question me not of aught nor of my worldly matters, for verily I am as one who hath fallen from the heavens upon the earth[FN#116] and my sole object is the honour of tending thee.”  The Sage again welcomed him and the boy served him assiduously for a length of time till he was twelve years old.  Now on one day of the days[FN#117] the lad heard certain of his fellows saying that the Sultan had a daughter endowed with beauty whose charms were unequalled by all the Princesses of the age.  So he fell in love with her by hearsay.—­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 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 Fifty-eighth Night,