THE FOURTH OFFICER'S STORY.



We were sleeping one night on the roof, when a woman made her way
into the house and gathering into a bundle all that was therein,
took it up, that she might go away with it. Now she was great
with child and near upon her term and the hour of her
deliverance; so, when she made up the bundle and offered to
shoulder it and make off with it, she hastened the coming of the
pangs of labour and gave birth to a child in the dark. Then she
sought for the flint and steel and striking a light, kindled the
lamp and went round about the house with the little one, and it
was weeping. [The noise awoke us,] as we lay on the roof, and we
marvelled. So we arose, to see what was to do, and looking down
through the opening of the saloon,[FN#112] saw a woman, who had
kindled the lamp, and heard the little one weeping. She heard our
voices and raising her eyes to us, said, "Are ye not ashamed to
deal with us thus and discover our nakedness? Know 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 bring down the house upon you!" We doubted not but
that she was of the Jinn and drew back our heads; but, when we
arose on the morrow, we found that she had taken all that was
with us and made off with it; wherefore we knew that she was a