392 
F. H. MALYON ON 
when we again arrived back in the market, I once more perceived that Faqir ; and 
he fell to wailing and lamenting, saying, ‘You have left my children hungry! ’ 
He prevailed on me to set out for the well a second time, but when we arrived 
there, I exclaimed to the Faqir, ‘ There is a lion in the well ! Look ! ’ 
The Faqir leant over the well to see if there was in truth a lion ; and then from 
behind I gave a push, and the Faqir became the food of the vipers below. And so, 
for my part, I was rid of him.” 
The king responded, saying : “ O ill-fated one ! Yet, if I relate my own adven- 
tures to you, you will sink (under the recital).” 
The Wazir begged, “ Do you also relate your story ! ” 
“From the country of the Arabs,” commenced the king, ‘‘ some merchants 
brought me two horses which were beautiful to look upon, and of a fine colour. I 
gave them to my own servants to be tended, and they kept them well. 
Now one day I went forth to see how the horses were. And when I saw them, 
behold! they were weak. I asked, ‘Why are they in this wretched condition ? ’ 
At first, the servants hesitated to answer, but I commanded, ‘ Speak ye this 
instant ! ’ 
They said, ‘ Every night the chief wife of the king rides abroad on horseback. 
Therefore have the horses become weak.’ 
‘ To-day,’ I said to myself, ‘ I will find out.’ 
When night came, I laid myself down by my wife’s side, and feigned sleep. So 
soon as the woman had no longer any fear of my being awake, she rose, and started 
forth, I following her covertly. 
Now as the woman headed (her steed) towards a mountain, I kept pace with her, 
and when she reached the mountain, there was a cave in it. 
The woman entered the cave, and I entered after her, and hid myself. 
Now when I looked around, I perceived in the cave a negro ; and the woman 
had seated herself beside him. But the negro sprang to his feet, and commenced to 
beat the woman unmercifully, saying, ‘ Why is it that to-day you have arrived so 
late ? ’ 
‘ Overnight,’ expostulated the woman, ‘ my husband was wakeful.’ 
‘ By Lat Manat I vow,’ exclaimed the negro, ‘ that if to-morrow you bring not 
the head of the king your husband, I will never more hold converse with you, and 
will even do you hurt.’ 
‘ By your own head I swear,’ the woman returned, ‘ to-morrow night I bring the 
head of my lord the King ! ’ 
On this the negro was pacified. And I, — I heard all this that passed ; and by- 
and-by when those two others were asleep, I arose, and I severed the head of the 
negro from his body, and took the road back to my palace. 
Now when the woman awoke, the negro lay there with his head missing ! And the 
woman wept bitterly, but after some while she set off for her home ; and (on arriving 
there), watched me the king narrowly, that perchance she might discover whether 
it was I who had done the deed. But there was nothing to arouse her suspicions. 
