The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 03 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 03 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
adding, "Nothing would satisfy her but she must slay thee; and this is
her reward." Then Bahadur rose and, kissing the Prince's hand, said to
him, "Would to Heaven thou hadst spared her! but now there is nothing
for it but to rid us of her without stay or delay, before the
day-break." Then he girded his loins and took the body, wrapped it in
an Abá-cloak and, laying it in a large basket of palm-leaves, he
shouldered it saying, "Thou art a stranger here and knowest no one: so
sit thou in this place and await my return till day-break. If I come
back to thee, I will assuredly do thee great good service and use my
endeavours to have news of thy brother; but if by sunrise I return not,
know that all is over with me; and peace be on thee, and the house and
all it containeth of stuffs and money are shine." Then he fared forth
from the saloon bearing the basket; and, threading the streets, he made
for the salt sea, thinking to throw it therein: but as he drew near the
shore, he turned and saw that the Chief of Police and his officers had
ranged themselves around him; and, on recognising him, they wondered
and opened the basket, wherein they found the slain woman. So they
seized him and laid him in bilboes all that night till the morning,
when they carried him and the basket, as it was, to the King and
reported the case. The King was sore enraged when he looked upon the
slain and said to Bahadur, "Woe to thee! Thou art always so doing; thou
killest folk and castest them into the sea and takest their goods. How
many murders hast thou done ere this?" Thereupon Bahadur hung his
head.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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