nights, wherein I will wake and sleep by thy grave. So arise and
be not a fool.' But he answered him not and El Merouzi [drew his
knife and] fell to sticking it into the other's hands and feet,
thinking to make him move; but [he stirred not and] he presently
grew weary of this and concluded that the sharper was dead in
good earnest. [However, he still misdoubted of the case] and said
in himself, 'This fellow is dissembling, so he may enjoy all the
money.' Therewith he addressed himself to prepare him [for
burial] and bought him perfumes and what [not else] was needed.
Then they brought him to the washing-place and El Merouzi came to
him and heating water till it boiled and bubbled and a third of
it was wasted,[FN#40] fell to pouring it on his skin, so that it
turned red and blue and blistered; but he abode still on one case
[and stirred not].

So they wrapped him in the shroud and set him on the bier. Then
they took up his bier and bearing him to the burial-place, laid
him in the grave[FN#41] and threw the earth over him; after which
the folk dispersed, but El Merouzi and the widow abode by the
tomb, weeping, and gave not over sitting till sundown, when the
woman said to him, 'Come, let us go to the house, for this
weeping will not profit us, nor will it restore the dead.' 'By
Allah,' answered the sharper, 'I will not budge hence till I have
slept and waked by this tomb ten days, with their nights!' When
she heard this his speech, she feared lest he should keep his
word and his oath, and so her husband perish; but she said in
herself, 'This fellow dissembleth: if I go away and return to my
house, he will abide by him a little while and go away.' And El
Merouzi said to her, 'Arise, thou, and go away.'