great and small and folk of Mohammed one and all, know ye that
envy falleth not save upon the wealthy and praiseworthy and never
descendeth upon the mean and miserable. I would have you wot, as
regards the two strangers whom yesterday I misspake, that one of
them is an Emir high in honour and son of most reputable parents,
in lieu of being (as I was informed by one of his enviers) a
cutpurse and a brigand. Of this matter I have made certain that
'tis a lying report, so beware lest any of you say aught against
him or speak evil in regard to the Emir even as I heard
yesterday; otherwise you will cast me and cast yourselves into
the sorest of calamities with the Prince of True Believers. For a
man like this of exalted degree may not possibly take up his
abode in our city of Baghdad unbeknown to the Caliph."--And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Ninth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, "O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy,
tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the
waking hours of this our night," and quoth Shahrazad:--It hath
reached me, O King of the Age, that Abu Bakr the Imam uprooted on
such wise from the minds of men the evil which he had implanted
by his own words thrown out against the Emir Zayn al-Asnam. But
when he had ended congregational prayers and returned to his
home, he donned his long gaberdine[FN#52] and made weighty his
skirts and lengthened his sleeves, after which he took the road
to the mansion of the Prince; and, when he went in, he stood up
before the stranger and did him honour with the highmost
distinction. Now Zayn al-Asnam was by nature conscientious albeit