The second old man, thinking it also worth his curiosity, resolved to do the like: he likewise sat down by them; and they had scarce began to talk together, but there came a third old man, who addressing himself to the two former, asked why the merchant that sat with them looked so melancholy. They told him the reason of it, which appeared so extraordinary to him, that he also resolved to be witness to the result; and for that end sat down with them. In a little time, they perceived in the field a thick vapour, like a cloud of dust raised by a whirlwind, advancing towards them, which vanished all of a sudden, and then the genie appeared; who, without saluting them, came up to the merchant with a drawn scimitar, and taking him by the arm, says, Get thee up, that I may kill thee, as thou didst my son. The merchant and the three old men, being frightened, began to lament, and to fill the air with their cries. Here Scheherazade, perceiving day, left off her story; which did so much whet the sultan’s curiosity, that he was absolutely resolved to hear the end of it, and put off the sultaness’s execution till the next day. Nobody can express the grand vizier’s joy when he perceived that the sultan did not order him to kill Scheherazade: his family, the court, and all the people in general, were astonished at it. FOURTH NIGHT. Towards the end of the following night, Dinarzade failed not to awake the sultaness. My dear sister, says she, if you be not asleep, pray tell me one of your fine stories. Then Scheherazade, with the sultan’s permission, spoke as follows: Sir, when the old man who led the hind saw the genie lay hold of the merchant, and about to kill him without mercy, he threw himself at the feet of the monster, and, kissing them, says to him, Prince of genies, I most humbly request you to suspend your anger, and do me the favour to hear me. I will tell you the history of my life, and of the hind you see; and if you think it more wonderful and surprising than the adventure of the merchant you are going to kill, I hope you will pardon the poor unfortunate man the third of his crime. The genie took some time to consult upon it, out answered at last, Well, then, I agree to it. The History of the first Old Man, and the Hind. I shall begin, then, says the old man; listen to me, I pray you, with attention. This hind you see is my cousin; nay, what is more, my wife: she was only twelve years or age when I married her, so that I may justly say, she ought as much to regard me as her father, as her kinsman and husband. We lived together twenty years without any children; yet her barrenness did not hinder my having a great deal of complaisance and friendship for her. The desire of having children only made me buy a slave, by whom I had a son, who was extremely promising. My wife being jealous, conceived a hatred for both mother and child, but concealed it so well, that I did not know it till it was too late.