and he knew nothing anent that his spouse had done with her beloved during the while he slumbered like unto a he goat.  So she said to him, “Rise up and go we to the man and do thou drub him with the soundest drubbing and turn him out.”  Quoth he, “Yes indeed, by Allah, verily he deserveth this, the pimp! the pander! the procurer!” Accordingly he went to him and finding him lying upon the ground raised him and said to him, “Up with thee and let us seek the man whereof thou spakest.”  Hereupon the Barber arose and went down into the cistern shaft where he found none and therewith the Captain laid the fellow upon his back; and, baring his arms to his elbows, seized a Nabbut[FN#353] and beat him till he made water in his bag-trowsers; after which he let him go.  So the Barber arose and he in doleful dumps, and went off from the house and ceased not wending until he reached his shop about sunset, hardly believing in his own safety.

The goodwife of Cairo and her four
gallants.[FN#354]

It is said that in Misr lived a woman, a model of beauty and loveliness and stature and perfect grace, who had a difficulty with a man which was a Kazi and after this fashion it befel.  She was the wife of an Emir[FN#355] and she was wont to visit the Baths once a month; and when the appointed term for her going forth had come, she adorned herself and perfumed herself and beautified herself and hastened, tripping and stumbling,[FN#356] to the Hamm m.  Now her path passed by the Kazi’s court-house where she saw many a man[FN#357] and she stopped to enjoy the spectacle, upon which the judge himself glanced at her with a glance of eyes that bequeathed to him a thousand sighs and he asked her saying, “O woman, hast thou any want?” “No indeed,” answered she, “I have none.”  Then he inclined to her and drawing near her said, “O lady mine and O light of these eyne, is union possible between us twain?” She replied, “’Tis possible,” and he enquired of her when it could be, and she made an appointment with him saying, “Do thou come to me after supper-time,”—­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 King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Thirty-ninth 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 the Goodwife said to the Kazi, “Do thou come to me after