night, against morning come and parting.' 'With all my heart,'
answered she and fell to relating to her, whilst the king
listened. Her story was goodly and delightful, and whilst she was
in the midst of telling it, the dawn broke. Now the king's heart
clave to the hearing of the rest of the story; so he respited her
till the morrow, and when it was the next night, she told him a
story concerning the marvels of the lands and the extraordinary
chances of the folk, that was yet stranger and rarer than the
first. In the midst of the story, the day appeared and she was
silent from the permitted speech. So he let her live till the
ensuing night, so he might hear the completion of the story and
after put her to death.

Meanwhile, the people of the city rejoiced and were glad and
blessed the vizier's daughter, marvelling for that three days had
passed and that the king had not put her to death and exulting in
that, [as they deemed,] he had turned [from his purpose] and
would never again burden himself with blood-guiltiness against
any of the maidens of the city. Then, on the fourth night, she
related to him a still more extraordinary story, and on the fifth
night she told him anecdotes of kings and viziers and notables.
On this wise she ceased not [to do] with him [many] days and
nights, what while the king still said in himself, 'When I have
heard the end of the story, I will put her to death,' and the
people waxed ever in wonder and admiration. Moreover, the folk of
the provinces and cities heard of this thing, to wit, that the
king had turned from his custom and from that which he had
imposed upon himself and had renounced his heresy, wherefore they
rejoiced and the folk returned to the capital and took up their
abode therein, after they had departed thence; yea, they were