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Annual Bibliography of Commonwealth Literature 2007
This paper argues that discourses of love in Ghanaian market literature for youth offer a view into complex negotiations of agency and empowerment. Drawing on Deborah Durham's notion of youth as "social `shifters'" and Francis Nyamnjoh's conception of the "interconnectedness" of agency, I take Ghanaian market literature as one specific case of how African literature for youth foregrounds questions of continuity and change as African societies enter into increasingly complex global relations. In this literature for youth, received notions of love, often constructed out of impressions from American pop and hip hop music, carry new notions of agency that compete with existing "domesticated" forms. Authors like Ike Tandoh and Evelyn Tay employ discourses of love to offer youth alternative avenues for empowerment in a context of socio-economic disenfranchizement. In a creative process of "straddling", this writing both reveals and reproduces the contradictions that obtain in youth configurations of agency.

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4

Pages:
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THE WOMAN WHOSE HANDS WERE CUT OFF FOR
GIVING ALMS TO THE POOR.



A certain King once made proclamation to the people of his realm
saying, "If any of you give alms of aught, I will verily and
assuredly cut off his hand;" wherefore all the people abstained
from alms-deed, and none could give anything to any one. Now it
chanced that one day a beggar accosted a certain woman (and
indeed hunger was sore upon him), and said to her, "Give me an
alms"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.

When it was Three Hundred and Forty-eighth Night

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that, quoth the
beggar to the woman, "Give me an alms however small." But she
answered him, "How can I give thee aught, when the King cutteth
off the hands of all who give alms?" Then he said, "I conjure
thee by Allah Almighty, give me an alms;" so when he adjured her
by the Holy Name of Allah, she had ruth on him and gave him two
scones. The King heard of this; whereupon he called her before
him and cut off her hands, after which she returned to her house.
Now it chanced after a while that the King said to his mother, "I
have a mind to take a wife; so do thou marry me to a fair woman."
Quoth she, "There is among our female slaves one who is
unsurpassed in beauty; but she hath a grievous blemish." The King
asked, "What is that?" and his mother answered, "She hath had
both her hands cut off." Said he, "Let me see her." So she
brought her to him, and he was ravished by her and married her
and went in unto her; and begat upon her a son. Now this was the
woman who had given two scones as an alms to the asker, and whose
hands had been cut off therefor; and when the King married her,
her fellow-wives envied her and wrote to the common husband that
she was an unchaste, having just given birth to the boy; so he
wrote to his mother, bidding her carry the woman into the desert
and leave her there. The old Queen obeyed his commandment and
abandoned the woman and her son in the desert; whereupon she fell
to weeping for that which had befallen her and wailing with
exceeding sore wail. As she went along, she came to a river and
knelt down to drink, being overcome with excess of thirst, for
fatigue of walking and for grief; but, as she bent her head, the
child which was at her neck fell into the water. Then she sat
weeping bitter tears for her child, and as she wept, behold came
up two men, who said to her, "What maketh thee weep?" Quoth she,
"I had a child at my neck, and he hath fallen into the water."
They asked, "Wilt thou that we bring him out to thee?" and she
answered, "Yes." So they prayed to Almighty Allah, and the child
came forth of the water to her, safe and sound. Then said they,
"Wilt thou that Allah restore thee thy hands as they were?"
"Yes," replied she: whereupon they prayed to Allah (extolled and
exalted be He!) and her hands were restored to her, goodlier than
before. Then said they, "Knowest thou who we are?"; and she
replied, "Allah is all knowing;"[FN#412] and they said, "We are
thy two Scones of Bread, which thou gayest in alms to the asker
and which were the cause of the cutting off of thy hands.[FN#413]
So praise thou Allah Almighty for that He hath restored to thee
thy hands and thy child." Then she praised Almighty Allah and
glorified Him. And men relate a tale of




THE DEVOUT ISRAELITE.



There was once a devout man of the Children of Israel,[FN#414]
whose family span cotton-thread; and he used every day to sell
the yarn and buy fresh cotton, and with the profit he laid in
daily bread for his household. One morning he went out and sold
the day's yarn as wont, when there met him one of his brethren,
who complained to him of need; so he gave him the price of the
thread and returned, empty-handed, to his family, who said to
him, "Where is the cotton and the food?" Quoth he, "Such an one
met me and complained to me of want; whereupon I gave him the
price of the yarn." And they said, "How shall we do? We have
nothing to sell." Now they had a cracked trencher[FN#415] and a
jar; so he took them to the bazar but none would buy them of him.
However presently, as he stood in the market, there passed by a
man with a fish,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the man
took the trencher and jar to the bazar, but none would buy them
of him. However there presently passed by a man with a fish which
was so stinking and so swollen that no one would buy it of him,
and he said to the Jew, "Wilt thou sell me thine unsaleable ware
for mine?" "Yes," answered the Jew; and, giving him the wooden
trencher and jar, took the fish and carried it home to his
family, who said, "What shall we do with this fish?" Quoth he,
"We will broil it and eat it, till it please Allah to provide
bread for us." So they took it and ripping open its belly, found
therein a great pearl and told the head of the household who
said, "See ye if it be pierced: if so, it belongeth to some one
of the folk; if not, 'tis a provision of Allah for us." So they
examined it and found it unpierced. Now when it was the morrow,
the Jew carried it to one of his brethren which was an expert in
jewels, and the man asked, "O such an one! whence haddest thou
this pearl?"; whereto the Jew answered, "It was a gift of
Almighty Allah to us," and the other said, "It is worth a
thousand dirhams and I will give thee that; but take it to such
an one, for he hath more money and skill than I." So the Jew took
it to the jeweller, who said, "It is worth seventy thousand
dirhams and no more." Then he paid him that sum and the Jew hired
two porters to carry the money to his house. As he came to his
door, a beggar accosted him, saying, "Give me of that which Allah
hath given thee." Quoth the Jew to the asker, "But yesterday we
were even as thou; take thee half this money:" so he made two
parts of it, and each took his half. Then said the beggar, "Take
back thy money and Allah bless and prosper thee in it; I am a
Messenger,[FN#416] whom thy Lord hath sent to try thee." Quoth
the Jew, "To Allah be the praise and the thanks!" and abode in
all delight of life he and his household till death. And men
recount this story of




ABU HASSAN AL-ZIYADI AND THE KHORASAN.



Quoth Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi[FN#417]: "I was once in straitened
case and so needy that the grocer, the baker and other tradesmen
dunned and importuned me; and my misery became extreme, for I
knew of no resource nor what to do. Things being on this wise
there came to me one day certain of my servants and said to me,
'At the door is a pilgrim wight, who seeketh admission to thee.'
Quoth I, 'Admit him.' So he came in and behold, he was a
Khorasani. We exchanged salutations and he said to me, 'Tell me,
art thou Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi?'; and I replied, 'Yes, what is thy
wish?' Quoth he, 'I am a stranger and am minded to make the
pilgrimage; but I have with me a great sum of money, which is
burdensome to bear: so I wish to deposit these ten thousand
dirhams with thee whilst I make my pilgrimage and return. If the
caravan march back and thou see me not, then know that I am dead,
in which case the money is a gift from me to thee; but if I come
back, it shall be mine.' I answered, 'Be it as thou wilt, an thus
please Allah Almighty.' So he brought out a leather bag and I
said to the servant, 'Fetch the scales;' and when he brought them
the man weighed out the money and handed it to me, after which he
went his way. Then I called the purveyors and paid them my
liabilities"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Fiftieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Abu
Hassan al-Ziyadi: "I called the purveyors and paid them my
liabilities and spent freely and amply, saying to myself, 'By the
time he returns, Allah will have relieved me with one or other of
the bounties He hath by Him.' However, on the very next day, the
servant came in to me and said, 'Thy friend the Khorasan man is
at the door.' 'Admit him,' answered I. So he came in and said to
me, 'I had purposed to make the pilgrimage; but news hath reached
me of the decease of my father, and I have resolved to return; so
give me the monies I deposited with thee yesterday.' When I heard
this, I was troubled and perplexed beyond measure of perplexity
known to man and wotted not what reply to make him; for, if I
denied it, he would put me on my oath, and I should be disgraced
in the world to come; whilst, if I told him that I had spent the
money, he would make an outcry and dishonour me before men. So I
said to him, 'Allah give thee health! This my house is no
stronghold nor site of safe custody for this money. When I
received thy leather bag, I sent it to one with whom it now is;
so do thou return to us to-morrow and take thy money,
Inshallah!'[FN#418] So he went away and I passed the night in
great concern, because of his return to me; sleep visited me not
nor could I close my eyes; so I rose and bade the boy saddle me
the she-mule. Answered he, 'O my lord, it is yet but the first
third of the night and indeed we have hardly had time to rest.' I
returned to my bed, but sleep was forbidden to me and I ceased
not to awaken the boy, and he to put me off, till break of day,
when he saddled me the mule, and I mounted and rode out, not
knowing whither to go. I threw the reins on the mule's shoulders
and gave myself up to regrets and melancholy thoughts, whilst she
fared on with me to the eastward of Baghdad. Presently, as I went
along, behold, I saw a number of people approaching me and turned
aside into another path to avoid them; but seeing that I wore a
turband in preacher-fashion,[FN#419] they followed me and
hastening up to me, said, 'Knowest thou the lodging of Abu Hassan
al-Ziyadi?' 'I am he,' answered I; and they rejoined, 'Obey the
summons of the Commander of the Faithful.' Then they carried me
before Al-Maamun, who said to me, 'Who art thou?' Quoth I, 'An
associate of the Kazi Abu Yusuf and a doctor of the law and
traditions.' Asked the Caliph, 'By what surname art thou
known?'[FN#420] and I answered, 'Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi;' whereupon
quoth he, 'Expound to me thy case.' So I recounted to him my case
and he wept sore and said to me, 'Out on thee! The Apostle of
Allah (whom Allah bless and assain!) would not let me sleep this
night, because of thee; for in early darkness[FN#421] he appeared
to me and said, 'Succour Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi.' Whereupon I awoke
and, knowing thee not, went to sleep again; but he came to me a
second time and said to me, 'Woe to thee! Succour Abu Hassan
al-Ziyadi.' I awoke a second time, but knowing thee not I went to
sleep again; and he came to me a third time and still I knew thee
not and went to sleep again. Then he came to me once more and
said, 'Out on thee! Succour Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi!' After that I
dared not sleep any more, but watched the rest of the night and
aroused my people and sent them on all sides in quest of thee.'
Then he gave me one myriad of dirhams, saying, 'This is for the
Khorasani,' and other ten thousand, saying, 'Spend freely of this
and amend thy case therewith, and set thine affairs in order.'
Moreover, he presented me with thirty thousand dirhams, saying,
'Furnish thyself with this, and when the Procession-day[FN#422]
is being kept, come thou to me, that I may invest thee with some
office.' So I went forth from him with the money and returned
home, where I prayed the dawn-prayer; and behold, presently came
the Khorasani, so I carried him into the house and brought out to
him one myriad of dirhams, saying, 'Here is thy money.' Quoth he,
'It is not my very money; how cometh this?' So I told him the
whole story, and he wept and said, 'By Allah, haddest thou told
me the fact at first, I had not pressed thee!; and now, by Allah,
I will not accept aught of this money'"--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the
Khorasani to Al-Ziyadi, "'By Allah, haddest thou told me the fact
at first, I had not pressed thee!; and now, by Allah, I will not
accept aught of this money and thou art lawfully quit of it.' So
saying, he went away and I set my affairs in order and repaired
on the Procession-day to Al-Maamun's Gate, where I found him
seated. When he saw me present myself he called me to him and,
bringing forth to me a paper from under his prayer-carpet, said
to me, 'This is a patent, conferring on thee the office of Kazi
of the western division of Al-Medinah, the Holy City, from the
Bab al-Salam[FN#423] to the furthest limit of the township; and I
appoint thee such and such monthly allowances. So fear Allah (to
whom be honour and glory!) end be mindful of the solicitude of
His Apostle (whom may He bless and keep!) on thine account.' Then
the folk marvelled at the Caliph's words and asked me their
meaning; whereupon I told them the story from beginning to end
and it spread abroad amongst the people." "And" (quoth he who
telleth the tale) "Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi ceased not to be Kazi of
Al-Medinah, the Holy City, till he died in the days of Al-Maamun
the mercy of Allah be on him!" And among the tales men tell is
one of




THE POOR MAN AND HIS FRIEND IN NEED.



There was once a rich man who lost all he had and became
destitute, whereupon his wife advised him to ask aid and
assistance of one of his intimates. So he betook himself to a
certain friend of his and acquainted him with his necessities;
and he lent him five hundred dinars to trade withal. Now in early
life he had been a jeweller; so he took the gold and went to the
jewel-bazar, where he opened a shop to buy and sell. Presently,
as he sat in his shop three men accosted him and asked for his
father, and when he told them that he was deceased, they said,
"Say, did he leave issue?" Quoth the jeweller, "He left the slave
who is before you." They asked, "And who knoweth thee for his
son?"; and he answered, "The people of the bazar whereupon they
said, "Call them together, that they may testify to us that thou
art his very son." So he called them and they bore witness of
this; whereupon the three men delivered to him a pair of saddle-
bags, containing thirty thousand dinars, besides jewels and
bullion of high value, saying, "This was deposited with us in
trust by thy father." Then they went away; and presently there
came to him a woman, who sought of him certain of the jewels,
worth five hundred dinars which she bought and paid him three
thousand for them. Upon this he arose and took five hundred
dinars and carrying them to his friend who had lent him the
money, said to him, "Take the five hundred dinars I borrowed of
thee; for Allah hath opened to me the gate of prosperity." Quoth
the other, "Nay; I gave them to thee outright, for the love of
Allah; so do thou keep them. And take this paper, but read it not
till thou be at home, and do according to that which is therein."
So he took the money and the paper and returned home, where he
opened the scroll and found therein inscribed these couplets,

"Kinsmen of mine were those three men who came to thee; * My sire
and uncles twain and Salih bin Ali.
So what for cash thou coldest, to my mother 'twas * Thou soldest
it, and coin and gems were sent by me.
Thus doing I desired not any harm to thee * But in my presence
spare thee and thy modesty."

And they also recount the story of




THE RUINED MAN WHO BECAME RICH AGAIN
THROUGH A DREAM.[FN#424]



There lived once in Baghdad a wealthy man and made of money, who
lost all his substance and became so destitute that he could earn
his living only by hard labour. One night, he lay down to sleep,
dejected and heavy hearted, and saw in a dream a Speaker[FN#425]
who said to him, "Verily thy fortune is in Cairo; go thither and
seek it." So he set out for Cairo; but when he arrived there
evening overtook him and he lay down to sleep in a mosque
Presently, by decree of Allah Almighty, a band of bandits entered
the mosque and made their way thence into an adjoining house; but
the owners, being aroused by the noise of the thieves, awoke and
cried out; whereupon the Chief of Police came to their aid with
his officers. The robbers made off; but the Wali entered the
mosque and, finding the man from Baghdad asleep there, laid hold
of him and beat him with palm-rods so grievous a beating that he
was well-nigh dead. Then they cast him into jail, where he abode
three days; after which the Chief of Police sent for him and
asked him, "Whence art thou?"; and he answered, "From Baghdad."
Quoth the Wali, "And what brought thee to Cairo?"; and quoth the
Baghdadi, "I saw in a dream One who said to me, Thy fortune is in
Cairo; go thither to it. But when I came to Cairo the fortune
which he promised me proved to be the palm-rods thou so
generously gavest to me." The Wali laughed till he showed his
wisdom-teeth and said, "O man of little wit, thrice have I seen
in a dream one who said to me: 'There is in Baghdad a house in
such a district and of such a fashion and its courtyard is laid
out garden-wise, at the lower end whereof is a jetting-fountain
and under the same a great sum of money lieth buried. Go thither
and take it.' Yet I went not; but thou, of the briefness of thy
wit, hast journeyed from place to place, on the faith of a dream,
which was but an idle galimatias of sleep." Then he gave him
money saying, "Help thee back herewith to thine own country;"--
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.

When It was the Three Hundred and Fifty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wali
gave the Baghdad man some silver, saying, "Help thee back
herewith to thine own country;" and he took the money and set out
upon his homewards march. Now the house the Wali had described
was the man's own house in Baghdad; so the wayfarer returned
thither and, digging underneath the fountain in his garden,
discovered a great treasure. And thus Allah gave him abundant
fortune; and a marvellous coincidence occurred. And a story is
also current of




CALIPH AL-MUTAWAKKIL AND HIS CONCUBINE
MAHBUBAH.



There were in the palace of the Caliph al-Mutawakkil
ala'llah[FN#426] four thousand concubines, whereof two thousand
were Greeks and other two thousand slave born Arabians[FN#427]
and Abyssinians; and 'Obayd ibn Tahir[FN#428] had given him two
hundred white girls and a like number of Abyssinian and native
girls. Among these slave-borns was a girl of Bassorah, hight
Mahbubah, the Beloved, who was of surpassing beauty and
loveliness, elegance and voluptuous grace. Moreover, she played
upon the lute and was skilled in singing and making verses and
wrote a beautiful hand; so that Al-Mutawakkil fell passionately
in love with her and could not endure from her a single hour. But
when she saw this affection, she presumed upon his favour to use
him arrogantly, wherefore he waxed exceeding wroth with her and
forsook her, forbidding the people of the palace to speak with
her. She abode on this wise some days, but the Caliph still
inclined to her; and he arose one morning and said to his
courtiers, "I dreamt, last night, that I was reconciled to
Mahhubah." They answered, "Would Allah this might be on wake!";
and as they were talking, behold, in came one of the Caliph's
maidservants and whispered him; so he rose from his throne and
entered the Serraglio; for the whisper had said, "Of a truth we
heard singing and lute-playing in Mahbubah's chamber and we knew
not what this meant." So he went straight to her apartment, where
he heard her playing upon the lute and singing the following
verses,

"I wander through the palace, but I sight there not a soul * To
whom I may complain or will 'change a word with me.
It is as though I'd done so grievous rebel-deed * Wherefrom can
no contrition e'er avail to set me free.
Have we no intercessor here to plead with King, who came * In
sleep to me and took me back to grace and amity;
But when the break of day arose and showed itself again, * Then
he departing sent me back to dree my privacy?"

Now when the Caliph heard her voice, he marvelled at the verse
and yet more at the strange coincidence of their dreams and
entered the chamber. As soon as she perceived him, she hastened
to rise and throw herself at his feet, and kissing them, said,
"By Allah, O my lord, this hap is what I dreamt last night; and,
when I awoke, I made the couplets thou hast heard." Replied Al-
Mutawakkil, "By Allah, I also dreamt the like!" Then they
embraced and made friends and he abode with her seven days with
their nights. Now Mahbubah had written upon her cheek, in musk,
the Caliph's name, which was Ja'afar: and when he saw this, he
improvised the following,

"One wrote upon her cheek with musk, his name was Ja'afar highs;
* My soul for hers who wrote upon her cheek the name I
sight!
If an her fingers have inscribed one line upon her cheek, * Full
many a line in heart of mine those fingers did indite:
O thou, whom Ja'afar sole of men possesseth for himself, * Allah
fill Ja'afar[FN#429] stream full draught, the wine of thy
delight!"

When Al-Mutawakkil died, his host of women forgot him, all save
Mahhubah,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Al-Mutawakkil died, his host of women forgot him all save
Mahbubah who ceased not to mourn for him, till she deceased and
was buried by his side, the mercy of Allah be on them both! And
men also tell the tale of




WARDAN[FN#430] THE BUTCHER; HIS ADVENTURE
WITH THE LADY AND THE BEAR.



There lived once in Cairo, in the days of the Caliph Al-Hakim bi'
Amri'llah, a butcher named Wardan, who dealt in sheep's flesh;
and there came to him every day a lady and gave him a dinar,
whose weight was nigh two and a half Egyptian dinars, saying,
"Give me a lamb." So he took the money and gave her the lamb,
which she delivered to a porter she had with her; and he put it
in his crate and she went away with him to her own place. Next
day she came in the forenoon and this went on for a long time,
the butcher gaining a dinar by her every day, till at last he
began to be curious about her case and said to himself, "This
woman buyeth of me a ducat-worth of meat every morning, paying
ready money, and never misseth a single day. Verily, this is a
strange thing!" So he took an occasion of questioning the porter,
in her absence, and asked him, "Whither goest thou every day with
yonder woman?"; and he answered, "I know not what to make of her
for surprise; inasmuch as every day, after she hath taken the
lamb of thee, she buyeth necessaries of the table, fresh and
dried fruits and wax-candles a dinar's worth, and taketh of a
certain person, which is a Nazarene, two flagons of wine, worth
another dinar; and then she leadeth me with the whole and I go
with her to the Wazir's Gardens, where she blindfoldeth me, so
that I cannot see on what part of earth I set my feet; and,
taking me by the hand, she leadeth me I know not whither.
Presently, she sayeth, 'Set down here;' and when I have done so,
she giveth me an empty crate she hath ready and, taking my hand,
leadeth me back to the Wazir's Gardens, the place where she bound
my eyes, and there removeth the bandage and giveth me ten silver
bits." "Allah be her helper!" quoth Wardan; but he redoubled in
curiosity about her case; disquietude increased upon him and he
passed the night in exceeding restlessness. And quoth the
butcher, "Next morning she came to me as of custom and taking the
lamb, for which she paid the dinar, delivered it to the porter
and went away. So I gave my shop in charge to a lad and followed
her without her seeing me;"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Wardan the
butcher continued: "So I gave my shop in charge to a lad and
followed her without her seeing me; nor did I cease to keep her
in sight, hiding behind her, till she left Cairo and came to the
Wazir's Gardens. Then I hid myself whilst she bandaged the
porter's eyes and followed her again from place to place till she
came to the mountain[FN#431] and stopped at a spot where there
was a great stone. Here she made the porter set down his crate,
and I waited whilst she conducted him back to the Wazir's
Gardens, after which she returned and, taking out the contents of
the basket, instantly disappeared. Then I went up to that stone
and wrenching it up entered the hole and found behind the stone
an open trap-door of brass and a flight of steps leading
downwards. So I descended, little by little, till I came to a
long corridor, brilliantly lighted and followed it, till I made a
closed door, as it were the door of a saloon. I looked about the
wall sides near the doorway till I discovered a recess, with
steps therein; then climbed up and found a little niche with a
bulls-eye giving upon a saloon. Thence I looked inside and saw
the lady cut off the choicest parts of the lamb and laying them
in a saucepan, throw the rest to a great big bear, who ate it all
to the last bite. Now when she had made an end of cooking, she
ate her fill, after which she set on the fruits and confections
and brought out the wine and fell to drinking a cup herself and
giving the bear to drink in a basin of gold. And as soon as she
was heated with wine, she put off her petticoat-trousers and lay
down on her back; whereupon the bear arose and came up to her and
stroked her, whilst she gave him the best of what belongeth to
the sons of Adam till he had made an end, when he sat down and
rested. Presently, he sprang upon her and rogered her again; and
when he ended he again sat down to rest, and he ceased not so
doing till he had futtered her ten times and they both fell to
the ground in a fainting-fit and lay without motion. Then quoth I
to myself, 'Now is my opportunity,' and taking a knife I had with
me, that would cut bones before flesh,[FN#432] went down to them
and found them motionless, not a muscle of them moving for their
hard swinking and swiving. So I put my knife to the bear's gullet
and pressed upon it, till I finished him by severing his head
from his body, and he gave a great snort like thunder, whereat
the lady started up in alarm; and, seeing the bear slain and me
standing whittle in hand, she shrieked so loud a shriek that I
thought the soul had left her body. Then she asked, 'O Wardan, is
this how thou requites me my favours?' And I answered, 'O enemy
of thine own soul, is there a famine of men[FN#433] that thou
must do this damnable thing?' She made no answer but bent down
over the bear, and looked fondly upon him; then finding his head
divided from his body, said to me, 'O Wardan, which of the two
courses wouldst thou take; either obey me in what I shall say and
be the means of thine own safety'"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

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