THE SIMPLETON HUSBAND 332 THE THREE MEN AND OUR LORD ISA 332 THE MELANCHOLIST AND THE SHARPER 333 THE DEVOUT WOMAN ACCUSED OF LEWDNESS 340 THE WEAVER WHO BECAME A LEACH BY ORDER OF HIS WIFE 341 THE KING WHO LOST KINGDOM, WIFE, AND WEALTH 343 AL-MALIK AL-ZAHIR AND THE SIXTEEN CAPTAINS OF POLICE 369 THE THIEF’S TALE 369 THE NINTH CONSTABLE’S STORY 369 THE FIFTEENTH CONSTABLE’S STORY 369 THE DAMSEL TUHFAT AL-KULUB 371 WOMEN’S WILES 372 NUR AL-DIN AND THE DAMSEL SITT AL-MILAH 377 KING INS BIN KAYS AND HIS DAUGHTER 377 ADDITIONAL NOTES: FIRUZ AND HIS WIFE 378 THE SINGER AND THE DRUGGIST 378 THE FULLER, HIS WIFE, AND THE TROOPER 379 AL-MALIK AL-ZAHIR RUKN AL-DIN BIBARS AL-BUNDUKDARI AND THE SIXTEEN CAPTAINS OF POLICE.[1] There was once in the climes[2] of Egypt and the city of Cairo, under the Turks, a king of the valiant kings and the exceeding mighty Soldans, hight Al-Malik al-Záhir Rukn al-Din Bibars al-Bundukdári,[3] who was used to storm the Islamite sconces and the strongholds of “The Shore”[4] and the Nazarene citadels. His Chief of Police in the capital of his kingdom, was just to the folk, all of them; and Al-Malik al-Zahir delighted in stories of the common sort and of that which men purposed in thought; and he loved to see this with his own eyes and to hear their sayings with his own ears. Now it fortuned that he heard one night from a certain of his nocturnal reciters[5] that among women are those who are doughtier than the doughtiest men and prower of prowess, and that among them are some who will engage in fight singular with the sword and others who beguile the quickest-witted of Walis and baffle them and bring down on them all manner of miseries; wherefore said the Soldan, “I would lief hear this of their legerdemain from one of those who have had to do with it, so I may hearken unto him and cause him discourse.” And one of the story-tellers said, “O king, send for the Chief of Police of this thy city.” Now ’Alam al-Din[6] Sanjar was at that time Wali and he was a man of experience, in affairs well versed; so the king sent for him and when he came before him, he discovered to him that which was in his mind. Quoth Sanjar, “I will do my endeavour for that which our lord seeketh.” Then he arose and returning to his house, summoned the