Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/186

166 her]. One night she plied them with drink and they drank [till they became intoxicated]; whereupon she arose and took her clothes and five hundred dinars from the captain; after which she fetched a razor and shaved all their chins. Then she took soot from the cooking-pots and blackening their faces withal, opened the doors and went out; and when the thieves awoke, they abode confounded and knew that the woman had practised upon them.’”’ The company marvelled at this story and the ninth officer came forward and said, ‘I will tell you a right goodly story I heard at a wedding.