Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/258

233 husband and she clapped me into the chest and shut the lid on me, whilst her addlepated pimp of a husband went round about the house, top and bottom; and when he had gone his way, we returned to what we were about.’ With this, the druggist was certified that the house was his house and the wife his wife, and he said, ‘And what wilt thou do to-day?’ Quoth the singer, ‘I shall return to her and weave for her and full her yarn, and I came but to thank thee for thy dealing with me.’

Then he went away, whilst the fire was loosed in the heart of the druggist and he shut his shop and betaking himself to his house, knocked at the door. Quoth the singer, ‘Let me get into the chest, for he saw me not yesterday.’ ‘Nay,’ answered she, ‘wrap thyself up in the rug.’ So he wrapped himself up in the rug and stood in a corner of the room, whilst the druggist entered and went straight to the chest, but found it empty. Then he went round about the house and searched it from top to bottom, but found nothing and no one and abode between belief and disbelief, and said in himself, ‘Belike, I suspect my wife of that which is not in her.’ So he was certified of her innocence and returned to his shop, whereupon out came the singer and they abode on their former case, as of wont, till eventide, when she gave him one of her husband’s shirts and he took it and going away, passed the night in his lodging.

On the morrow, he repaired to the druggist, who saluted him and came to meet him and rejoiced in him and smiled in his face, deeming his wife innocent. Then