So he went in and found her sitting in her own apartment and he marvelled as he espied her and drew near her and threw his arms round her neck of his fond love to her and asked her concerning her absence.  Thereupon she told him the truth saying, “I went forth seeking my sire and habited in a Mameluke’s habit and ’twas I slew the lion and roasted his flesh over the fire, but thou wouldest not eat thereof.”  At these words the Sultan rejoiced and his rejoicings increased and all were in the highmost of joy and jolliment; he and her father with the two other sons-in-law, and this endured for a long while.  But at last all deemed it suitable to revisit their countries and capitals and each farewelled his friends and the whole party returned safe and sound to their own homes.[FN#203] Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,

Shahrazad began to relate

The story of the Kazi who bare A babe.[FN#204]

It hath been related that in Tarabulus-town[FN#205] of Syria was a Kazi appointed under orders of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid to adjudge law-suits and dissolve contracts and cross-examine witnesses; and after taking seat in his Mahkamah[FN#206] his rigour and severity became well known to all men.  Now this judge kept a black hand-maiden likest unto a buffalo-bull and she cohabited with him for a lengthened while; for his nature was ever niggardly nor could anyone wrest from him half a Faddah or any alms-gift or aught else; and his diet was of biscuit[FN#207] and onions.  Moreover, he was ostentatious as he was miserly:  he had an eating-cloth bordered with a fine bell fringe,[FN#208] and when any person entered about dinner-time or supper-tide he would cry out, “O handmaid, fetch the fringed table-cloth;” and all who heard his words would say to themselves, “By Allah, this must needs be a costly thing.”  Presently one day of the days his assessors and officers said to him, “O our lord the Kazi, take to thyself a wife, for yon negress becometh not a dignitary of thy degree.”  Said he, “An this need be, let any who hath a daughter give her to me in wedlock and I will espouse her.”  Herewith quoth one present, “I have a fair daughter and a marriageable,” whereto quoth the Kazi, “An thou wouldst do me a favour this is the time.”  So the bride was fitted out and the espousals took place forthright and that same night the Kazi’s father-in-law came to him and led him in to his bride saying in his heart, “I am now connected with the Kazi.”  And he took pleasure in the thought for he knew naught of the judge’s stinginess and he could not suppose but that his daughter would be comfortable with her mate and well-to-do in the matter of diet and dress and furniture.  Such were the fancies which occurred to him; but as for the Kazi, he lay with the maid and abated her maidenhead; and she in the morning awaited somewhat where-with to break her fast and waited