The folk marvelled at this story with the utmost wonderment and
the seventh officer said, 'There befell me in Alexandria the
[God-]guarded a marvellous thing, [and it was that one told me
the following story].





THE SEVENTH OFFICER'S STORY.



There came one day an old woman [to the stuff-market], with a
casket of precious workmanship, containing trinkets, and she was
accompanied by a damsel great with child. The old woman sat down
at the shop of a draper and giving him to know that the damsel
was with child by the prefect of police of the city, took of him,
on credit, stuffs to the value of a thousand dinars and deposited
with him the casket as security. [She opened the casket and]
showed him that which was therein; and he found it full of
trinkets [apparently] of price; [so he trusted her with the
goods] and she took leave of him and carrying the stuffs to the
damsel, who was with her, [went her way]. Then the old woman was
absent from him a great while, and when her absence was
prolonged, the draper despaired of her; so he went up to the
prefect's house and enquired of the woman of his household, [who
had taken his stuffs on credit;] but could get no tidings of her
nor lit on aught of her trace.