story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth
she, "And where is this compared with that I would 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 Three Hundred and Thirty-fourth 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;" and she began
to recount




THE STORY OF THE THREE SHARPERS.[FN#17]



Saying, "Verily their adventure is wondrous and their actions
delightsome and marvellous," presently adding--There were in time
of yore three Sharpers who were wont every day in early morning
to prowl forth and to prey, rummaging[FN#18] among the mounds
which outlay the city. Therein each would find a silver bit of
five parahs or its equivalent, after which the trio would for-
gather and buy whatso sufficed them for supper: they would also
expend two Nusfs[FN#19] upon Bast,[FN#20] which is Bhang, and