“O sister mine,” answered Dinarzad, “bring forth that which is with thee and that which is present to thy mind of the story concerning the craft of women and their wiles, and have no fear lest this endamage thee with the king; for that women are like unto jewels, which are of all kinds and colours.  When a [true] jewel falleth into the hand of him who is knowing therein, he keepeth it for himself and leaveth that which is other than it.  Moreover, he preferreth some of them over others, and in this he is like unto the potter, who filleth his oven with all the vessels [he hath moulded] and kindleth fire thereunder.  When the baking is at an end and he goeth about to take forth that which is in the oven, he findeth no help for it but that he must break some thereof, whilst other some are what the folk need and whereof they make use, and yet other some there be that return to their whilom case.  Wherefore fear thou not to adduce that which thou knowest of the craft of women, for that in this is profit for all folk.”

Then said Shehrzad, “They avouch, O king, (but God [alone] knowest the secret things,) that

El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el
Bunducdari and the Sixteen officers of
police.[FN#83]

There was once in the land [of Egypt and] the city of Cairo, [under the dynasty] of the Turks,[FN#84] a king of the valiant kings and the exceeding mighty Sultans, by name El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdari.[FN#85] He was used to storm the Islamite strongholds and the fortresses of the Coast[FN#86] and the Nazarene citadels, and the governor of his [capital] city was just to the folk, all of them.  Now El Melik ez Zahir was passionately fond of stories of the common folk and of that which men purposed and loved to see this with his eyes and hear their sayings with his ears, and it befell that he heard one night from one of his story-tellers[FN#87] that among women are those who are doughtier than men of valour and greater of excellence and that among them are those who will do battle with the sword and others who cozen the quickest-witted of magistrates and baffle them and bring down on them all manner of calamity; whereupon quoth the Sultan, ’I would fain hear this of their craft from one of those who have had to do theiewith, so I may hearken unto him and cause him tell.’  And one of the story-tellers said, ’O king, send for the chief of the police of the town.’

Now Ilmeddin Senjer was at that time Master of Police and he was a man of experience, well versed in affairs:  so the king sent for him and when he came before him, he discovered to him that which was in his mind.  Quoth Ilmeddin Senjer, ’I will do my endeavour for that which our lord the Sultan seeketh.’  Then he arose and returning to his house, summoned the captains of the watch and the lieutenants of police and said to them, ’Know that I purpose to marry