knowest I lie but one night with a girl and when I arise on the
morrow, I put her to death, and it is thou who slayest her, and
thou hast done this again and again?' 'Know, O king,' answered
the vizier, 'that I have set forth all this to her, yet consented
she not unto aught, but needs must she have thy company and still
chooseth to come to thee and present herself before thee,
notwithstanding that I have cited to her the sayings of the
sages; but she hath answered me to the contrary thereof with more
than that which I said to her.' And the king said, 'Bring her to
me this night and to-morrow morning come thou and take her and
put her to death; and by Allah, an thou slay her not, I will slay
thee and her also!'

The vizier obeyed the king's commandment and going out from
before him, [returned to his own house. When it was night, he
took his elder daughter and carried her up to the king; and when
she came into his presence,] she wept; whereupon quoth he to her,
'What causeth thee weep? Indeed, it was thou who willedst this.'
And she answered, saying, 'I weep not but for longing after my
little sister; for that, since we grew up, I and she, I have
never been parted from her till this day; so, if it please the
king to send for her, that I may look on her and take my fill of
her till the morning, this were bounty and kindness of the king.'

Accordingly, the king bade fetch the girl [and she came]. Then
there befell that which befell of his foregathering with the
elder sister, and when he went up to his couch, that he might
sleep, the younger sister said to the elder, 'I conjure thee by
Allah, O my sister, an thou be not asleep, tell us a story of thy
goodly stories, wherewithal we may beguile the watches of our