In my early years I had a cousin, the daughter of my paternal uncle, who loved me and I loved her whilst her father loathed me. So one day she sent to me saying, "Do thou fare forth and demand me in marriage from my sire;" and, as I was poor and her father was a wealthy merchant, she sent me to her dowry fifty gold pieces which I took; and, accompanied by four of my comrades, I went to the house of my father"s brother and there arrived I went within. But when he looked upon me his face showed wrath and my friends said to him, "Verily, thy nephew seeketh in marriage the daughter of his uncle;" and as soon as he heard these words he cried aloud at them and reviled me and crave me from his doors. So I went from him well nigh broken-hearted and I wept till I returned to my mother who cried, "What is to do with thee, O my son!" I related to her all that had befallen me from my uncle and she said to me, "O my child, to a man who loveth thee not thou goest, forsooth, to ask his daughter in marriage!" Whereto I replied, "O mother mine, she sent a message bidding me so do and verily she loveth me." Quoth my mother, Take patience, O my son!" I heartened my heart, and my parent promised me all welfare and favour from my cousin; more over she was thinking of me at all times and presently she again sent to me and promised me that she never would love any other. Then behold, a party of folk repaired to her father and asked her to wife of him and prepared to take her away. But when the tidings reached her that her parent purposed marrying her to one of those people, she sent to me saying, "Get thee ready for this mid-night and I will come to thee." When night was at its noon she appeared, carrying a pair of saddle-bags wherein was a somewhat of money and raiment, and she was leading a she mule belonging to her father whereupon her saddle-bags were packed. "Up with us," she cried, so I arose with her in that outer darkness and we went forth the town forthright and the Veiler veiled us, nor did we stint faring till morning when we hid ourselves in fear lest we be overtaken. And when the next night fell we made ready and set out again, but we knew not whither we were wending, for the Predestinator existeth and what is decided for us is like Destiny. At last we came to a wide and open place where the heat smote us, and we sat down under a tree to smell the air. Presently sleep came upon me and I was drowned in slumber from the excess of my toil and travail, when suddenly a dog-faced baboon came up to the daughter of my uncle--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable !" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Four Hundred and Seventy-first Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Larrikin continued his tale saying to the King:--And as I was drowned in slumber a dog-faced baboon came up to the daughter of my uncle and assaulted her and knew her carnally; then, having taken her pucelage he ran away,[FN#387] but I knew nothing thereof from being fast asleep. Now when I awoke I found my cousin was changed of case and her colour had waxed pale and she was in saddest condition; so I asked her and she told me all that had betided her and said to me, "O son of my uncle, from Fate there is no flight, even as saith one of those who knoweth:-- "And when death shall claw with his firm-fixt nail * I saw that spells[FN#388] were of scant avail." And one of them also said:-- "When God would execute His will in anything On one endowed with sight, hearing and reasoning, He stops his ears and blinds his eyes and draws his will From him, as one draws out the hairs to paste that cling; Till, His decrees fulfilled, He gives him back his wit, That therewithal he may receive admonishing.""[FN#389] Then she spake concerning the predestination of the Creator till she could say no more thereof. Presently we departed that stead and we travelled till we came to a town of the towns frequented by merchants, where we hired us a lodging and furnished it with mats and necessaries. Here I asked for a Kazi and they pointed out to me one of them amongst the judges of the place whom I summoned with two of his witnesses; then I made one of them deputy[FN#390] for my cousin and was married to her and went in unto her and I said to myself, "All things depend upon Fate and Lot." After that I tarried with her for a full told year in that same town, a disease befel her and she drew nigh unto death. Hereat quoth she to me, "Allah upon thee, O son of my uncle, when I shall be dead and gone and the Destiny of Allah shall come upon thee and drive thee to marry again, take not to wife any but a virgin-girl or haply do thou wed one who hath known man but once;[FN#391] for by Allah, O my cousin, I will say thee nothing but sooth when I tell thee that the delight of that dog-faced baboon who deflowered me hath remained with me ever since."[FN#392] So saying she expired[FN#393] and her soul fled forth her flesh. I brought to her a woman who washeth the dead and shrouded her and buried her; and after her decease I went forth from the town until Time bore me along and I became a wanderer and my condition was changed and I fell into this case. And no one knew me or aught of my affairs till I came and made friends with yonder two men. Now the King hearing these words marvelled at his adventure and what had betided him from the Shifts of Time and his heart was softened to him and he largessed him and his comrades and sent them about their business. Then quoth one of the bystanders to the King, "O Sultan, I know a tale still rarer than this;" and quoth the King, "Out with it;" whereat the man began to relate