said, "I fear lest there be robbers within who murder folk and
plunder their goods, for evening is their time of entering such
places and dividing their spoil." "O thou weak o' wits," said
both the bearers of the box, "how could they ever get in
here!"[FN#89] Then they set down the chest and climbing over the
wall dropped inside and opened the gate, whilst the third slave
(he that was called Bukhayt) stood by them holding the adze, the
lanthorn and the hand basket containing the mortar. After this
they locked the gate and sat down; and presently one of them
said, "O my brethren, we are wearied with walking and with
lifting up and setting down the chest, and with unlocking and
locking the gate; and now 'tis midnight, and we have no breath
left to open a tomb and bury the box: so let us rest here two or
three hours, then rise and do the job. Meanwhile each of us shall
tell how he came to be castrated and all that befel him from
first to last, the better to pass away our time while we take our
rest." Thereupon the first, he of the lanthorn and whose name was
Bukhayt, said, "I'll tell you my tale." "Say on," replied they;
so he began as follows the

Tale of the First Eunuch, Bukhayt.

Know, O my brothers, that when I was a little one, some five
years old, I was taken home from my native country by a slave
driver who sold me to a certain Apparitor.[FN#90] My purchaser
had a daughter three years old, with whom I was brought up; and
they used to make mock of me, letting me play with her and dance
for her[FN#91] and sing to her, till I reached the age of twelve
and she that of ten; and even then they did not forbid me seeing
her. One day I went in to her and found her sitting in an inner