be under thy standard.  I reached this city at the last of the day and finding the gate locked and barred, threw me down to sleep without the walls; but, as I lay betwixt sleep and wake, behold, I saw four women come up; one riding on a broom-stick, another on a wine-jar, a third on an oven-peel and a fourth on a black bitch,[FN#192] and I knew that they were witches making for thy city.  One of them came up to me and kicked me with her foot and beat me with a fox’s tail she had in her hand, hurting me grievously, whereat I was wroth and smote her with a knife I had with me, wounding her in the back parts, as she turned to flee from me.  When she felt the wound, she fled before me and in her flight let drop this casket, which I picked up and opening, found these costly jewels therein.  So do thou take it, for I have no need thereof, being a wanderer in the mountains[FN#193] who hath rejected the world from my heart and renounced it and all that is in it, seeking only the face of Allah the Most High.”  Then he set the casket before the King and fared forth.  The King opened the box and emptying out all the trinkets it contained, fell to turning them over with his hand, till he chanced upon a necklace whereof he had made gift to the Wazir to whom the girl belonged.  Seeing this, he called the Minister in question and said to him, “This is the necklace I gave thee?” He knew it at first sight and answered, “It is; and I gave it to a singing girl of mine.”  Quoth the King, “Fetch that girl to me forthwith.”  So he fetched her to him, and he said, “Uncover her back parts and see if there be a wound therein or no.”  The Wazir accordingly bared her backside and finding a knife-wound there, said, “Yes, O my lord, there is a wound.”  Then said the King, “This is the witch of whom the devotee told me, and there can be no doubt of it,” and bade cast her into the witches’ well.  So they carried her thither at once.  As soon as it was night and the goldsmith knew that his plot had succeeded, he repaired to the pit, taking with him a purse of a thousand dinars, and, entering into converse with the warder, sat talking with him till a third part of the night was passed, when he broached the matter to him, saying, “Know, O my brother, that this girl is innocent of that they lay to her charge and that it was I brought this calamity upon her.”  Then he told him the whole story, first and last, adding, “Take, O my brother, this purse of a thousand dinars and give me the damsel, that I may carry her to my own land, for these gold pieces will profit thee more than keeping her in prison; moreover Allah will requite thee for us, and we too will both offer up prayers for thy prosperity and safety.”  When the warder heard this story, he marvelled with exceeding marvel at that device and its success; then taking the money, he delivered the girl to the goldsmith, conditioning that he should not abide one hour with her in the city.  Thereupon the goldsmith took the girl and fared on with her, without ceasing, till