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[Footnote 190] i.e. otherwise than according to God’s ordinance.

When King Shah Bekht heard his vizier’s story, he gave him leave to withdraw to his own house and he abode there the rest of the night and the next day till the evening.

The Second Night of the Month

When the evening evened, the king sat in his privy sitting-chamber and his mind was occupied with the story of the singer and the druggist. So he called the vizier and bade him tell the story. “It is well,” answered he, “They tell, O my lord, that

STORY OF THE SINGER AND THE DRUGGIST.

There was once in the city of Hemadan[191] a young man of comely aspect and excellently skilled in singing to the lute, and he was well seen of the people of the city. He went forth one day of his city, with intent to travel, and gave not over journeying till his travel brought him to a goodly city. Now he had with him a lute and what pertained thereto,[192] so he entered and went round about the city till he fell in with a druggist, who, when he espied him, called to him. So he went up to him and he bade him sit down. Accordingly, he sat down by him and the druggist questioned him of his case. The singer told him what was in his mind and the other took him up into his shop and brought him food and fed him. Then said he to him, ‘Arise and take up thy lute and beg about the streets, and whenas thou smellest the odour of wine, break in upon the drinkers and say to them, “I am a singer.” They will laugh and say, “Come, [sing] to us.” And when thou singest, the folk will know thee and bespeak one another of thee; so shall thou become known in the city and thine affairs will prosper.’

[Footnote 191] A city of Persian Irak.

[Footnote 192] Lit. its apparatus, i.e. spare strings, etc.?

So he went round about, as the druggist bade him, till the sun grew hot, but found none drinking. Then he entered a by-street, that he might rest himself, and seeing there a handsome and lofty house, stood in its shade and fell to observing the goodliness of its ordinance. As he was thus engaged, behold, a window opened and there appeared thereat a face, as it were the moon. Quoth she,[193] ‘What aileth thee to stand there? Dost thou want aught?’ And he answered, ‘I am a stranger,’ and acquainted her with his case; whereupon quoth she, ‘What sayst thou to meat and drink and the enjoyment of a fair-face[d one] and getting thee what thou mayst spend?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘this is my desire and that in quest whereof I am going about.’

[Footnote 193] i.e. the woman whose face he saw.

So she opened the door to him and brought him in. Then she seated him at the upper end of the room and set food before him. So he ate and drank and lay with her and swived her. Then she sat down in his lap and they toyed and laughed and kissed till the day was half spent, when her husband came home and she could find nothing for it but to hide the singer in a rug, in which she rolled him up. The husband entered and seeing the place disordered[194] and smelling the odour of wine, questioned her of this. Quoth she, ‘I had with me a friend of mine and I conjured her [to drink with me]; so we drank a jar [of wine], she and I, and she went away but now, before thy coming in.’ Her husband, (who was none other than the singer’s friend the druggist, that had invited him and fed him), deemed her words true and went away to his shop, whereupon the singer came forth and he and the lady returned to their sport and abode on this wise till eventide, when she gave him money and said to him, ‘Come hither to-morrow in the forenoon.’ ‘It is well,’ answered he and departed; and at nightfall he went to the bath.