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On the morrow, he repaired to the druggist, who saluted him and came to meet him and rejoiced in him and smiled in his face, deeming his wife innocent. Then he questioned him of his yesterday’s case and he told him how he had fared, saying, ‘O my brother, when the cuckold knocked at the door, I would have entered the chest; but his wife forbade me and rolled me up in the rug. The man entered and thought of nothing but the chest; so he broke it open and abode as he were a madman, going up and coming down. Then he went his way and I came out and we abode on our wonted case till eventide, when she gave me this shirt of her husband’s; and behold, I am going to her.’

When the druggist heard the singer’s words, he was certified of the case and knew that the calamity, all of it, was in his own house and that the wife was his wife; and he saw the shirt, whereupon he redoubled in certainty and said to the singer, ‘Art thou now going to her?’ ‘Yes, O my brother,’ answered he and taking leave of him, went away; whereupon the druggist started up, as he were a madman, and ungarnished his shop.[199] Whilst he was thus engaged, the singer won to the house, and presently up came the druggist and knocked at the door. The singer would have wrapped himself up in the rug, but she forbade him and said to him, ‘Get thee down to the bottom of the house and enter the oven[200] and shut the lid upon thyself.’ So he did as she bade him and she went down to her husband and opened the door to him, whereupon he entered and went round about the house, but found no one and overlooked the oven. So he stood meditating and swore that he would not go forth of the house till the morrow.

[Footnote 199] i.e. removed the goods exposed for sale and laid them up in the inner shop or storehouse.

As for the singer, when his [stay in the oven] grew long upon him, he came forth therefrom, thinking that her husband had gone away. Then he went up to the roof and looking down, beheld his friend the druggist; whereat he was sore concerned and said in himself, ‘Alas, the disgrace of it! This is my friend the druggist, who dealt kindly with me and wrought me fair and I have requited him with foul’ And he feared to return to the druggist; so he went down and opened the first door and would have gone out; but, when he came to the outer door, he found it locked and saw not the key. So he stole up again to the roof and cast himself down into the [next] house. The people of the house heard him and hastened to him, deeming him a thief. Now the house in question belonged to a Persian; so they laid hands on him and the master of the house began to beat him, saying to him, ‘Thou art a thief.’ ‘Nay,’ answered he, ‘I am no thief, but a singing-man, a stranger. I heard your voices and came to sing to you.’

When the folk heard his words, they talked of letting him go; but the Persian said, ‘O folk, let not his speech beguile you. This fellow is none other than a thief who knoweth how to sing, and when he happeneth on the like of us, he is a singer.’ ‘O our lord,’ answered they, ‘this man is a stranger, and needs must we release him.’ Quoth he, ‘By Allah, my heart revolteth from this fellow! Let me make an end of him with beating.’ But they said, ‘Thou mayst nowise do that’ So they delivered the singer from the Persian, the master of the house, and seated him amongst them, whereupon he fell to singing to them and they rejoiced in him.