practice of improvisation.”  Now when Ibrahim was speaking behold, there came one of the Caliph’s pages and he walked up to the head of the assembly bearing with him a letter, which he handed to his lord.  But Yusuf put forth his hand and took it, and after reading the superscription he learnt that his companion was Ibrahim without doubt or mistake, so he said to him, “By Allah, O my lord, verily thou hast slighted me, for that thou hast not informed me of thyself.”  Quoth the other, “By Allah, I feared from thee lest I give thee excess of trouble;” and quoth Yusuf, “Do thou take to thee all these handmaids whom the Commander of the Faithful hath bid thee receive.”  Ibrahim replied, “Nay, I will not accept from thee the hand- maidens but rather will I fend from thee the Prince of True Believers;” however, King Yusuf rejoined, “I have gifted them to the Viceregent of Allah:  an thou take them not I will send them by other than thyself.”  Presently King Yusuf set apart for the Caliph great store of gifts, and when the handmaidens heard of that they wept with sore weeping.  Ibrahim, hearing their wailing, found it hard to bear, and he also shed tears for the sobbing and crying of them; and presently he exclaimed, “Allah upon thee, O Yusuf leave these ten handmaidens by thee and I will be thy ward with the Prince of True Believers.”  But Yusuf answered, “Now by the might of Him who stablished the mountains stable, unless thou bear them away with thee I will despatch them escorted by another.”  Hereupon Ibrahim took them and farewelled King Yusuf and fared forth and hastened his faring till the party arrived at Baghdad, the House of Peace, where he went up into the Palace of the Commander of the Faithful—­ And Shahrazad was surprised by 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 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 Seven Hundred and Seventh 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 Ibrahim reached Baghdad and went up to the Palace of the Commander of the Faithful and stood in the presence he was asked, “What hast thou brought for us from thy journey, O Ibrahim?” whereto he answered, “O our lord, I have come to thee with all thou willest and wishest that of rede be right and of word apposite.”  Quoth he, “And what may that be?” and quoth the other, “The ten handmaids:”  and so saying he set them before the Caliph, whereupon