the king went forth one day to hunt and falling in with the lion, he and his troops, gave chase to him and ceased not [to follow] after him till they slew him.  This came to Abou Sabir’s knowledge and he said to his wife, ’Said I not to thee, O woman, that whoso doth evil, it shall revert upon him?  Belike, if I had sought to slay the lion myself, I had not availed against him, and this is the issue of patience.’

It befell, after this, that a man was slain in Abou Sabir’s village; wherefore the Sultan caused plunder the village, and they plundered the headman’s goods with the rest So his wife said to him, ’All the Sultan’s officers know thee; so do thou prefer thy plaint to the king, that he may cause thy beasts to be restored to thee.’  But he said to her, ’O woman, said I not to thee that he who doth evil shall suffer it?  Indeed, the king hath done evil, and he shall suffer [the consequences of] his deed, for whoso taketh the goods of the folk, needs must his goods be taken.’  A man of his neighbours heard his speech, and he was an envier of his; so he went to the Sultan and acquainted him therewith, whereupon he sent and plundered all [the rest of] his goods and drove him forth from the village, and his wife [and children] with him.  So they went wandering in the desert and his wife said to him, ’All that hath befallen us cometh of thy slothfulness in affairs and thy default.’  But he said to her, ‘Have patience, for the issue of patience is good.’

Then they went on a little, and thieves met them and despoiling them of that which remained with them, stripped them of their raiment and took the children from them; whereupon the woman wept and said to her husband, ’O man, put away from thee this folly and arise, let us follow the thieves, so haply they may have compassion on us and restore the children to us.’  ‘O woman,’ answered he, ’have patience, for he who doth evil shall be requited with evil and his wickedness shall revert upon him.  Were I to follow them, most like one of them would take his sword and smite off my head and slay me; but have patience, for the issue of patience is praised.’  Then they fared on till they drew near a village in the land of Kirman, and by it a river of water.  So he said to his wife, ’Abide thou here, whilst I enter the village and look us out a place wherein we may take up our lodging.’  And he left her by the water and entered the village.

Presently, up came a horseman in quest of water, so he might water his horse.  He saw the woman and she was pleasing in his sight; so he said to her, ’Arise, mount with me and I will take thee to wife and entreat thee kindly.’  Quoth she, ’Spare me, so may God spare thee!  Indeed, I have a husband.’  But he drew his sword and said to her, ’An thou obey me not, I will smite thee and kill thee.’  When she saw his malice, she wrote on the ground in the sand with her finger, saying, ’O Abou Sabir, thou hast not ceased to be patient, till thy wealth is gone from thee and thy children and [now] thy wife, who was more precious in thy sight than everything and than all thy wealth, and indeed thou abidest in thy sorrow all thy life long, so thou mayst see what thy patience will profit thee.’  Then the horseman took her, and setting her behind him, went his way.