bed?"[FN#220] But the Judge hearing these words returned
forthright to Damascus by the way he came, saying to himself,
"Hie thee not save to Baghdad city for 'tis further away than
Damascus!" and set out at once for the House of Peace. However he
entered it privily, because he was still in the employ of the
Prince of True Believers, Harun al-Rashid; and, changing
semblance and superficials, he donned the dress of a Persian
Darwaysh and fell to walking about the streets of the capital.
Here met he sundry men of high degree who showed him favour, but
he could not venture himself before the Caliph albe sundry of the
subjects said to him, "O Darwaysh, why dost thou not appear in
the presence of the Commander of the Faithful? Assuredly he would
bestow upon thee many a boon, for he is a true Sultan; and,
specially, an thou panegyrise him in poetry, he will largely add
to his largesse." Now by the decree of Destiny the viceregent of
Allah upon His Earth had commended the Kazi's wife be brought
from Tarabulus: so they led her into the presence and when she
had kissed ground before him and salam'd to him and prayed for
the perpetuity of his glory and his existence, he asked her anent
her husband and how he had borne a child and what was the prank
she had played him and in what manner she had gotten the better
of him. She hung her head groundwards awhile for shame nor could
she return aught of reply for a time, when the Commander of the
Faithful said to her, "Thou hast my promise of safety and again
safety, the safety of one who betrayeth not his word." So she
raised her head and cried, "By Allah, O King of the Age, the
story of this Kazi is a strange"--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