wife.' They took this ill of him and complained of him and
summoning him before the king, sat pleading with him. Now the
king had no knowledge of that which had passed; so he said to the
chamberlain, 'Why wilt thou put her away and how can thy soul
consent unto this and why takest thou unto thyself a goodly piece
of land and after forsakest it? 'May God amend the king!'
answered the husband. 'By Allah, O king, I saw therein the track
of the lion and fear to enter the land, lest the lion devour me;
and indeed the like of my affair with her is that which befell
between the old woman and the draper's wife.' 'What is their
story?' asked the king; and the chamberlain said, 'Know, O king,
that





STORY OF THE OLD WOMAN AND THE DRAPER'S
WIFE.



There was once a man of the drapers, who had a fair wife, and she
was curtained [FN#54] and chaste. A certain young man saw her
coming forth of the bath and loved her and his heart was occupied
with her. So he cast about [to get access to her] with all manner
of devices, but availed not to win to her; and when he was weary
of endeavour and his patience was exhausted for weariness and his
fortitude failed him and he was at an end of his resources
against her, he complained of this to an old woman of ill-omen,