A certain man loved a beautiful and lovely woman, a model of
charms and grace, married to a man whom she loved and who loved
her. Moreover, she was virtuous and chaste, like unto me, and her
rake of a lover found no way to her; so when his patience was at
an end, he devised a device to win his will. Now the husband had
a young man, whom he had brought up in his house and who was in
high trust with him as his steward. So the rake addressed himself
to the youth and ceased not insinuating himself into his favour
by presents and fair words and deeds, till he became more
obedient to him than the hand to the mouth and did whatever he
ordered him. One day, he said to him, "Harkye, such an one; wilt
thou not bring me into the family dwelling-place some time when
the lady is gone out?" "Yes," answered the young steward so, when
his master was at the shop and his mistress gone forth to the
Hammam, he took his friend by the hand and, bringing him into the
house, showed him the sitting-rooms and all that was therein. Now
the lover was determined to play a trick upon the woman; so he
took the white of an egg which he had brought with him in a
vessel, and spilt it on the merchant's bedding, unseen by the
young man; after which he returned thanks and leaving the house
went his way. In an hour or so the merchant came home; and, going
to the bed to rest himself, found thereon something wet. So he
took it up in his hand and looked at it and deemed it man's seed;
whereat he stared at the young man with eyes of wrath, and asked
him, "Where is thy mistress?"; and he answered, "She is gone
forth to the Hammam and will return forthright after she has made
her ablutions."
[FN#166] When the man heard this, his suspicion
concerning the semen was confirmed; and he waxed furious and
said, "Go at once and bring her back." The steward accordingly
fetched her and when she came before her husband, the jealous man
sprang upon her and beat her a grievous beating; then, binding
her arms behind her, offered to cut her throat with a knife; but
she cried out to the neighbours, who came to her, and she said to
them, "This my man hath beaten me unjustly and without cause and
is minded to kill me, though I know not what is mine offence." So
they rose up and asked him, "Why hast thou dealt thus by her?"
And he answered, "She is divorced." Quoth they, "Thou hast no
right to maltreat her; either divorce her or use her kindly, for
we know her prudence and purity and chastity. Indeed, she hath
been our neighbour this long time and we wot no evil of her."
Quoth he, "When I came home, I found on my bed seed like human
sperm, and I know not the meaning of this." Upon this a little
boy, one of those present, came forward and said, "Show it to me,
nuncle mine!" When he saw it, he smelt it and, calling for fire
and a frying-pan, he took the white of egg and cooked it so that
it became solid. Then he ate of it and made the husband and the
others taste if it, and they were certified that it was white of
egg. So the husband was convinced that he had sinned against his
wife's innocence, she being clear of all offence, and the
neighbours made peace between them after the divorce, and he
prayed her pardon and presented her with an hundred gold pieces.
And so the wicked lover's cunning trick came to naught. "And
know, O King, that this is an instance of the malice of men and
their perfidy." When the King heard this, he bade his son be
slain; but on the next day the second Wazir came forward for
intercession and kissed ground in prostration. Whereupon the King
said, "Raise thy head: prostration must be made to Allah
only."
[FN#167] So the Minister rose from before him and said, "O
King, hasten not to slay thy son, for he was not granted to his
mother by the Almighty but after despair, nor didst thou expect
such good luck; and we hope that he will live to become a guerdon
to thy reign and a guardian of thy good. Wherefore, have
patience, O King; belike he will offer a fit excuse; and, if thou
make haste to slay him, thou wilt surely repent, even as the
merchant-wight repented." Asked the King, "And how was it with
the merchant, O Wazir?"; and the Wazir answered, "O King, I have
heard a tale of
The Miser and the Loaves of Bread.
