and brought out the Tailor, saying, “Hast thou seen what awaiteth thee, O pander, O impure?  Now by Allah, an thou continue staring at the windows or durst bespeak me with one single word it shall be the death of thee.  This time I have set thee free, but a second time I will work to the wasting of thy heart’s blood.”  Cried he, “I will do so no more; no, never!” Thereupon said she to her slave-girl, “O handmaid, open to him the door;” and she did so, and he fared forth (and he foully bewrayed as to his nether garments) until he had returned to his shop.  Now when the Emir heard the tale of the Kazi, he rejoiced thereat and said to him, “Up and gang thy gait!” so the judge went off garbed in his gaberdine and bonnet.  Then said the house-master to his wife, “This be one of the four, where’s Number Two?” Hereat she arose and opened the closet in which was the Gentleman and led him out by the hand till he stood before her husband, who looked hard at him and was certified of him and recognised him as the Sh hbandar; so he said to him, “O Khw jah, when didst thou make thee a droll?"[FN#375] but the other returned to him neither answer nor address and only bowed his brow groundwards.  Quoth the house-master to him, “Dance for us a wee and when thou shalt have danced do thou tell us a tale.”  So he fell perforce to clapping his hands and skipping about until he fell down of fatigue when he said, “O my lord, there is with me a rare story, and an exceeding strange if thou of thy grace accord attention to my words.”  “Tell on and I will listen to thee,” quoth the other, whereupon said the Gentleman, “’Tis concerning the wiles of womankind,” and fell to relating the adventures of

The Syrian and the Three Women of Cairo.[FN#376]

There was a man, a Sh m¡, who came to the God-guarded city of Misr al-K hirah—­Misr of Mars—­and with him was a store of money and merchandize and sumptuous clothing.  He hired for himself a room in a caravanserai, and having no slave, he was wont to go forth every day and roam about the city-thoroughfares and cater for himself.  Now this continued for a while of time till one day of the days, as he was wandering and diverting his mind by looking to the right and to the left, he was met on the way by three women who were leaning and swaying one towards other as they walked on laughing aloud; and each and every of the three surpassed her fellow in beauty and loveliness.  When he looked at them his mustachios curled[FN#377] at the sight and he accosted them and addressed the trio, saying, “May it be that ye will drink coffee in my lodging?” “Indeed we will,” said they, “and we will make mirth with thee and exceeding merriment, passing even the will of thee.”  Quoth he, “When shall it be?” and quoth they, “To-night we will come to thy place.”  He continued, “I am living in a room of Such-and-such a Wak lah."[FN#378] and they rejoined, “Do thou make ready for us supper and we will visit thee after the hour of night-prayers.”