leave off her lute-playing till near daylight, when she rose and
retired and presently brought in a breakfast befitting her degree
(for indeed she was pleased with them); and when she had served
it up they ate a small matter which sufficed them. After this she
said, "Inshallah, you will return to us this night before
supper-tide and become our guests;" and the twain went their ways
marvelling at the beauty of the sisters and their loveliness and
their fearlessness in the matter of the proclamation; and the
Sultan said to the Wazir, "By Allah, my soul inclineth unto that
maiden." And they stinted not walking until they had entered the
palace. But when that day had gone by and evening drew nigh, the
Monarch made ready to go, he and the Minister, to the dwelling of
the damsels--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive." Now when it was the next night and that
was

The Three Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King
and the Councillor made ready to go to the dwelling of the
damsels taking with them somewhat of gold pieces, the time being