Now, to this murder confessed two men, a youth and an old man; and this
was the story of the youth.

His wife fell ill, and had a longing for apples, so that he made the
journey to Bussorah, and bought three apples from the caliph's gardener.
But his wife would not eat them. One day, as he sat in his shop, passed
a slave, bearing one of the apples. The husband asked how he came by it,
whereat replied the slave that his mistress gave it him, saying that her
wittol of a husband had journeyed to Bussorah for it. Then in rage the
young man returned and slew his wife. Presently his little son came
home, saying that he was afraid of his mother; and when the father
questioned him, replied the child that he had taken one of his mother's
three apples to play with, and that a slave had stolen it. Then did the
husband know his wife to be innocent, and he told her father all, and
they both mourned for her, and both offered themselves to the
executioner--the one that he was guilty, the other to save his son-in-
law whose guilt was innocence.

From this story followed that of Noureddin and his son Bedreddin Hassan,
whose marriage to the Lady of Beauty was brought about by a genie, in
spite of great difficulties. And it was after hearing this tale that
Haroun al-Raschid declared to his vizir: "It behoves that these stories
be written in letters of liquid gold."


_III.--Hassan, the Rope-Maker_


Two men, so it chanced, disputing whether wealth could give happiness,
came before the shop of a poor rope-maker. Said one of the men: "I will