what hadst thou said to them? indeed I fear me thou wouldst have slain them!” And he, “No indeed; I would not have killed them, for they are but buffoon-folk, and we should have enjoyed their harlequinades and would have made them dance to us a wee and all and some tell us tales to gladden our minds; after which we would have suffered them depart and go about their own business.”  The wife enquired, “And given that they knew neither dancing nor story-telling what hadst thou done with them?” and replied he, “Had the case been as thou sayest and they ignorant of all this, verily we would have killed them and cast them into the chapel of case.”  The four men hearing such threatening words muttered to themselves, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great;” but the Kazi said in his mind, “How remain Judge of this city when I shall have been found garbed in gaberdine and bonnet and dancing and tale-telling? and indeed this is the greater death.  Allah bring to ruin this adulteress of a woman!” Then the Flesher took thought as follows, “How shall I continue to be Chief of the Butchers when I prance about with a bonnet on my pate? this is indeed a painful penalty!” Then quoth the Gentleman, the Consul, “How shall it be with me when I am seen dancing and donning a bonnet? indeed death by the sword were lighter than this!” Then muttered the Trader which was the woman’s neighbour, “’Tis easier to kill myself with my own hand than to endure all such ill.”  Anon the woman said to her husband, “Inshallah—­God willing—­on the morrow we will bring them hither to thy house that we may solace ourselves therewith;” but said he, “Wall hi, hadst thou brought them this night ’twere better, for that to-morrow evening I have business in the house of the Chief Emir.”  Quoth she to him, “Now grant me immunity and give me permission and I will arise and bring them to thee at this moment, but each must come to thee alone and by himself.”  Quoth he, “O Woman, leave I do give thee and immunity I do grant thee;” whereupon she rose without stay or delay and went to the closet wherein was the Judge.  Then she opened it and entered, and taking him by the hand dragged him forward and came out with him and set him before her spouse garbed as he was in gaberdine and bonnet.  The house-master scrutinised him and was certified of his being the Kazi and said to him, “Blessed be to thee, O our lord, this bonnet and this gaberdine which become thee passing well.”  But the Judge, as he stood before the presence of the woman’s husband, bowed his front downwards and was clothed as with a garment in the sweat of shame and was sore abashed, when the Emir said to him, “O our lord the Kazi, do thou dance for us a wee the baboon dance and rejoice us; after which performance do thou tell us a tale that our breasts may thereby be broadened.”  But when the man said this to him, the Judge feared for his life because he had heard and well remembered the words of the householder and he fell to clapping