of the country, who was a merchant of the chiefest of the
merchants and was blessed with two children, a son and a
daughter. He was assiduous in rearing them and making fair their
education, and they grew up and throve after the goodliest
fashion. He used to teach the boy, who taught his sister all that
he learnt, so that the girl became perfect in the knowledge of
the Traditions of the Prophet and in polite letters, by means of
her brother. Now the boy's name was Selim and that of the girl
Selma. When they grew up and waxed, their father built them a
mansion beside his own and lodged them apart therein and
appointed them slave-girls and servants to tend them and assigned
unto each of them pensions and allowances and all that they
needed of high and low, meat and bread and wine and raiment and
vessels and what not else. So Selim and Selma abode in that
mansion, as they were one soul in two bodies, and they used to
sleep on one couch; and rooted in each one's heart was love and
affection and familiar friendship [for the other of them].

One night, when the night was half spent, as Selim and Selma sat
talking and devising with each other, they heard a noise below
the house; so they looked out from a lattice that gave upon the
gate of their father's mansion and saw a man of goodly presence,
whose clothes were hidden by a wide cloak, which covered him. He
came up to the gate and laying hold of the door-ring, gave a
light knock; whereupon the door opened and out came their sister,
with a lighted flambeau, and after her their mother, who saluted
the stranger and embraced him, saying, 'O beloved of my heart and
light of mine eyes and fruit of mine entrails, enter.' So he
entered and shut the door, whilst Selim and Selma abode amazed.