A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments Translated and Annotated by Richard F.

Burton VOLUME THREE

Inscribed to the Memory of A Friend Who During A Friendship of TwentySix Years Ever Showed Me The Most Unwearied Kindness，Richard Monckton Milnes Baron Houghton.

Contents of the Third Volume The Tale of King Omar Bin AlNu'uman and His Sons Sharrkan and Zau AlMakan （cont）

aa.Continuation of the Tale of Aziz and Azizah b. Tale of the Hashish Eater c. Tale of Hammad the Badawi 10.The Birds and Beasts and the Carpenter 11.The Hermits 12.The WaterFowl and the Tortoise 13.The Wolf and the Fox a. Tale of the Falcon and the Partridge 14.The Mouse and the Ichneumon 15.The Cat and the Crow 16.The Fox and the Crow a. The Flea and the Mouse b. The Saker and the Birds c. The Sparrow and the Eagle 17.The Hedgehog and the Wood Pigeons a. The Merchant and the Two Sharpers 18.The Thief and His Monkey a. The Foolish Weaver 19.The Sparrow and the Peacock 20.Ali Bin Bakkar and Shams AlNahar 21.Tale of Kamar AlZaman.

When it was the One Hundred and TwentyFifth Night Shahrazad continued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Aziz pursued to Taj alMuluk：Then I entered the flower garden and made for the pavilion，where I found the daughter of Dalilah the Wily One，sitting with head on knee and hand to cheek.Her colour was changed and her eyes were sunken； but，when she saw me，she exclaimed，'Praised be Allah for thy safety！'And she was minded to rise but fell down for joy.I was abashed before her and hung my head；presently，however，I went up to her and kissed her and asked，'How knewest thou that I should come to thee this very night？'She answered，'I knew it not！ By Allah，this whole year past I have not tasted the taste of sleep，but have watched through every night，expecting thee； and such hath been my case since the day thou wentest out from me and I gave thee the new suit of clothes，and thou promisedst me to go to the Hammam and to come back！So I sat awaiting thee that night and a second night and a third night；but thou camest not till after so great delay，and I ever expecting thy coming；for this is lovers' way.

And now I would have thee tell me what hath been the cause of thine absence from me the past year long？'So I told her.And when she knew that I was married，her colour waxed yellow，and I added，'I have come to thee this night but I must leave thee before day.'Quoth she，'Doth it not suffice her that she tricked thee into marrying her and kept thee prisoner with her a whole year，but she must also make thee swear by the oath of divorce，that thou wilt return to her on the same night before morning，and not allow thee to divert thyself with thy mother or me，nor suffer thee to pass one night with either of us，away from her？

How then must it be with one from whom thou hast been absent a full year，and I knew thee before she did？But Allah have mercy on thy cousin Azizah，for there befel her what never befel any and she bore what none other ever bore and she died by thy ill usage； yet 'twas she who protected thee against me.Indeed，Ithought thou didst love me，so I let thee take thine own way；

else had I not suffered thee to go safe in a sound skin，when Ihad it in my power to clap thee in jail and even to slay thee.'

Then she wept with sore weeping and waxed wroth and shuddered in my face with skin bristling[1] and looked at me with furious eyes.When I saw her in this case I was terrified at her and my side muscles trembled and quivered，for she was like a dreadful she Ghul，an ogress in ire，and I like a bean over the fire.

Then said she，'Thou art of no use to me，now thou art married and hast a child； nor art thou any longer fit for my company； Icare only for bachelors and not for married men：[2] these profit us nothing Thou hast sold me for yonder stinking armful；but，by Allah，I will make the whore's heart ache for thee，and thou shalt not live either for me or for her！'Then she cried a loud cry and，ere I could think，up came the slave girls and threw me on the ground； and when I was helpless under their hands she rose and，taking a knife，said，'I will cut thy throat as they slaughter he goats； and that will be less than thy desert，for thy doings to me and the daughter of thy uncle before me.'

When I looked to my life and found myself at the mercy of her slave women，with my cheeks dust soiled，and saw her sharpen the knife，I made sure of death.And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.