herself and loosed the Mouse alive and whole without wound. Then
the hound brake her neck and dragging her forth of the hole,
threw her down dead: and thus was exemplified the truth of the
saying, "Who hath compassion shall at the last be compassionated.
Whoso oppresseth shall presently be oppressed." "This, then, O
King," added the interpreter, "is what befel the Mouse and the
Cat and teacheth that none should break faith with those who put
trust in him; for who ever cloth perfidy and treason, there shall
befal him the like of that which befel the Cat. As a man meteth,
so shall it be meted unto him, and he who betaketh himself to
good shall gain his eternal reward. But grieve thou not, neither
let this trouble thee, O King, for that assuredly thy son, after
his tyranny and oppression, shall return to the goodliness of thy
policy. And I would that yon learned man, thy Wazir Shimas, had
concealed from thee naught in that which he expounded unto thee;
and this had been well advised of him, for 'tis said, 'Those of
the folk who most abound in fear are the amplest of them in
knowledge and the most emulous of good.'" The King received the
interpreter's speech with submission and gifted him and his
fellows with rich gifts; then, dismissing them he arose and
withdrew to his own apartments and fell to pondering the issue of
his affair. When night came, he went in to one of his women, who
was most in favour with him and dearest to him of them all, and
lay with her: and ere some four months had passed over her, the
child stirred in her womb, whereat she rejoiced with joy
exceeding and told the King. Quoth he, "My dream said sooth, by
Allah the Helper!"; and he lodged her in the goodliest of
lodgings and entreated her with all honour, bestowing on her
store of rich gifts and manifold boons. Then he sent one of his
pages to fetch his Wazir Shimas and as soon as he was in the