to him and said, “Thou hast come betimes,” and said he, “I have minced the meat and I desired to work it up when I found that the hour was too early and that no one was in the market.  So I said to myself, ‘Up with thee and go to Such-and-such a woman’” “’Tis well,” quoth she; but when they desired to make merry together, of a sudden the door was knocked; so quoth he to her, “Who is this?” and quoth she to him, “I know not, but do thou hie and hide thee in yonder closet.”  He did her bidding, whereupon she went forth and threw open the door when behold, it was the Herbalist and she said to him, “This is a time betimes.”  Said he, “By Allah, I was nighting in the garden and I have brought these sweet-scented herbs, and as the hour was over-early I said to myself, ’Go thou to Such-and-such a woman and make merry, thou and she, for a wee.’” So she let him in; but hardly had he settled himself in his seat when suddenly the door was again rapped and he asked her, “Who is this?” and she answered, “I know not, but do thou hie and hide thee in yonder closet.”  So he went in and found the Pieman there seated and said to him, “What thing mayest thou be?"[FN#412] and said the other, “I and thou are each like other.”  Meanwhile the woman had gone forth and opened the door when behold, she was met by the Flesher whom she led within and then said to him, “This is a time betimes.”  Quoth he, “By Allah, I arose from sleep and slaughtered a ram[FN#413] and prepared the flesh for selling when I found that the hour was over-early and said I to myself, ’Take thee a piece of mutton flesh and go thou in to a certain person and enjoy yourselves, thou and she, until the Bazar shall have opened.’” But hardly had he taken seat when came a fourth knock at the door and as he heard this he was wonderstruck; so she said to him, “Fear not, but hie thee and hide thee within yonder closet.”  Accordingly he went in and found the Pieman and the Herbalist there sitting and he salam’d to the twain who returned his salute; then he asked them, “What hath brought you hither?” and they answered, “That which brought us brought also thee.”  He took seat with them while the woman went and threw open the door and behold, she was met by her friend the Shaykh of the Pipers belonging to the Sultan, so she brought him in and said to him, “Indeed thy time is betimes.”  Said he, “Wallahi, I went forth my home intending to fare and prepare the band[FN#414] in the Royal Palace when I found the hour was over-early, so said I to myself, ’Hie thee to a certain person and make ye merry, thou and she, until the sun shall rise and thou art bound to wend palace- wards.’” “’Tis well,” quoth she and seated him and designed to take seat beside him when behold, came a rap at the door and he cried, “Who is that?” and she replied, “Allah only is Omniscient, but haply ’tis my husband.”  So he was startled and afeard, and when she whispered to him, “Up and enter yon closet,” he did her bidding and found a facing him therein the Pieman and the Herbalist