burton--1001-nights--sample

this day forward I allot him a settled solde and allowances, every
month a thousand gold pieces; and, were I to share with him my realm
’twere but a little matter. Perforce I must suspect that thou speakest on
this wise from mere envy and jealousy as they relate of the King
Sindibád.” —
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day, and ceased saying her
permitted say. Then quoth Dunyazad, “O my sister, how pleasant is thy
tale, and how tasteful, how sweet, and how grateful!” She replied, “And
where is this compared with what I could tell thee on the coming night
if the King deign spare my life?” Then said the King in himself,
“By Allah, I will not slay her until I hear the rest of her tale, for truly it
is wondrous.” So they rested that night in mutual embrace until the
dawn. Then the King went forth to his Hall of Rule, and the Wazir and
the troops came in, and the audience-chamber was thronged and the
King gave orders and judged and appointed and deposed and bade
and forbade during the rest of that day till the Court broke up, and
King Shahryar returned to his palace.
Now when it was the Fifth Night,
her sister said, “Do you finish for us thy story if thou be not sleepy,”
and she resumed: —
It hath reached me, O auspicious King and mighty Monarch, that
King Yunan said to his Minister, “O Wazir, thou art one whom the evil
spirit of envy hath possessed because of this physician, and thou
plottest for my putting him to death, after which I should repent me
full sorely, even as repented King Sindibad for killing his falcon.”
Quoth the Wazir, “Pardon me, O King of the age, how was that?”
So the King began the
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