a wild Ass or aught else; and assuredly[FN#81] the Almighty hath
sent him to me and crave him fall to my homestead." Then he
sprang on the body and tearing open its belly, thrust in his head
and with his nose rummaged about its entrails, till he found the
heart and tearing a tidbit swallowed it: but, as soon as he had
so done, the forked head of the arrow struck deep in his gullet
and he could neither get it down into his belly nor bring it
forth of his throttle. So he made sure of destruction and said,
"Of a truth it beseemeth not the creature to seek for himself
aught over and above that which Allah hath allotted to him. Had I
been content with what He appointed to me, I had not come to
destruction." "Wherefore, O King," added the Wazir, "it becometh
man to be content with whatso Allah hath distributed to him and
thank Him for His bounties to him and cast not off hope of his
Lord. And behold, O King, because of the purity of thy purpose
and the fair intent of thy good works, Allah hath blessed thee
with a son, after despair, wherefore we pray the Almighty to
vouchsafe him length of days and abiding happiness and make him a
blessed successor, faithful in the observance of thy covenant,
after thy long life." Then arose the fourth Wazir, and said,
"Verily, an the King be a man of understanding, a frequenter of
the gates of wisdom,"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Fifth Night,

She pursued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
fourth Wazir, arose and said, "Verily an the King be a man of
understanding, a frequenter of the gates of wisdom, versed in
science, government and policy, and eke upright in purpose and