and questioned him of his condition, saying, "Thou, from what
land art thou?" He responded, "O my lord, I am a beggar man;" and
the other rejoined, "There is no help but that thou tell me what
brought thee hither." The Darwaysh retorted, "O my lord, this may
not be save in privacy," and the other exclaimed, "Be it so for
thee." The twain then arose and repaired to a retired room in the
Palace and the Fakir recounted to the Sultan all that had
befallen him since the loss of his kingship and also how he, a
Sultan, had given up the throne of his realm and had made himself
a Darwaysh. The Sovran marvelled at his self-denial in yielding
up the royal estate and cried, "Laud be to Him who degradeth and
upraiseth, who honoureth and humbleth by the wise ordinance of
His All-might," presently adding, "O Darwaysh, I have passed
through an adventure which is marvellous; indeed 'tis one of the
Wonders of the World[FN#52] which I needs must relate to thee nor
from thee withhold aught thereof." And he fell to telling--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased
saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How
sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and 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 Forty-third 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