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
desired to be private with the Minister and when they were left
alone he said, "O Wazir, how was it between thee and that Harim
of mine?" Said the other, "O King of the Age, she sent to me not
only once but five several times and I refrained from her and
whatsoever eunuch she despatched I slew, saying, Haply she may
cease so doing and abandon her evil intent. But she did not
repent, so I feared for thine honour and sent to acquaint thee
with the matter." The Sultan bowed his head groundwards for a
while, then raising it he bade summon the two Chamberlains whom
he had sent to slay his wife and three children. On their
appearing he asked them, "What have you done in fulfilling my
commandment?" They answered, "We did that which thou badest be
done," and showed him the four flasks they had filled with the
blood and said, "This be their blood, a flask-full from each."
The Sultan hent them in hand and mused over what had taken place
between him and his wife of love and affection and union; so he
wept with bitter weeping and fell down in a fainting fit. After
an hour or so he recovered and turning to the Wazir said, "Tell
me, hast thou spoken sooth?" and the other replied, "Yes, I
have." Then the Sultan addressed the two Chamberlains and asked
them, "Have ye put to death my daughters with their mother?" But
they remained silent nor made aught of answer or address. So he
exclaimed, "What is on your minds that ye speak not?" They
rejoined, "By Allah, O King of the Age, the honest man cannot
tell an untruth for that lying and leasing are the