The Twenty-fifth Night of the Month.

When the evening evened, the king summoned his vizier and bade
him tell the [promised] story. So he said, "It is well. Know, O
king, that





STORY OF THE FOUL-FAVOURED MAN AND HIS
FAIR WIFE.



There was once a man of the Arabs who had a number of sons, and
amongst them a boy, never was seen a fairer than he of favour nor
a more accomplished in loveliness, no, nor a more perfect of wit.
When he came to man's estate, his father married him to the
daughter of one of his uncles, and she excelled not in beauty,
neither was she praiseworthy of attributes; wherefore she pleased
not the youth, but he bore with her, for kinship's sake.

One day, he went forth in quest of certain stray camels of his
and fared on all his day and night till eventide, when he [came
to an Arab encampment and] was fain to seek hospitality of one of
the inhabitants. So he alighted at one of the tents of the camp
and there came forth to him a man of short stature and loathly
aspect, who saluted him and lodging him in a corner of the tent,
sat entertaining him with talk, the goodliest that might be. When