Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/234

 FIROUZ AND HIS WIFE.

A certain king sat one day on the roof of his palace, diverting himself with looking about him, and presently, chancing to look aside, he espied, on [the roof of] a house over against his palace, a woman, never saw his eyes her like. So he turned to those who were present and said to them, “To whom belongeth yonder house?” “To thy servant Firouz,” answered they, “and that is his wife.” So he went down, (and indeed love had made him drunken and he was passionately enamoured of her), and calling Firouz, said to him, “Take this letter and go with it to such a city and bring me the answer.” Firouz took the letter and going to his house, laid it under his head and passed that night. When the morning morrowed, he took leave of his wife and set out for the city in question, unknowing what the king purposed against him.

As for the king, he arose in haste and disguising himself, repaired to the house of Firouz and knocked at the door. Quoth Firouz’s wife, “Who is at the door?” And he answered, saying, “I am the king, thy husband’s master.” So she opened the door and he entered and sat down, saying, “We are come to visit thee.” Quoth she, “I seek refuge [with God] from this visitation, for indeed I deem not well thereof.” And the king said, “O desire

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