with it. Now she was big with child and nigh upon her time of
delivery; so, when she packed up the bundle and prepared to
shoulder it and make off with it, she hastened the coming of the
labour-pangs and bare a child in the dark. Then she sought for
the fire-sticks and when they burned, kindled the lamp and went
round about the house with the little one, and it was weeping.
The wail awoke us, as we lay on the roof, and we marvelled. So we
rose to see what was to do, and looking down through the opening
of the saloon,[FN#59] saw a woman, who had lit the lamp, and
heard the little one crying. As we were peering, she heard our
words and raising her head to us, said, "Are ye not ashamed to
deal thus with us and bare our shame? Wist ye not that the day
belongeth to you and the night to us? Begone from us! By Allah,
were it not that ye have been my neighbours these many years, I
would assuredly[FN#60] bring down the house upon you!" We doubted
not but that she was of the Jinn and drew back our heads; but,
when we rose on the morrow, we found that she had taken all that
was with us and made off with it;[FN#61] wherefore we knew that
she was a thief and had practised on us a device, such as was
never before practised; and we repented, whenas repentance
availed us naught. The company, hearing this tale, marvelled
thereat with the utmost marvelling. Then the fifth constable, who
was the lieutenant of the bench,[FN#62] came forward and said,
"This is no wonder and there befel me a story which is rarer and
stranger than this."




The Fifth Constable's History.