Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/24

8 prompted him to evil, for that which he saw of her beauty and loveliness, and he lusted after her and required her [of love]; but she repelled him and bade him fear God the Most High and reminded him of that which she had done with him of kindness and how she had delivered him from beating and humiliation.

However, he would not be denied, and when he saw her [constant] refusal of herself to him, he feared lest she should tell the folk of him. So, when he arose in the morning, he took a scroll and wrote in it what he would of forgery and falsehood and going up to the Sultan’s palace, said, ‘[I have] an advisement [for the king].’ So he bade admit him and he delivered him the writ that he had forged, saying, ‘I found this letter with the woman, the devotee, the ascetic, and indeed she is a spy, a secret informer against the king to his enemy; and I deem the king’s due more incumbent on me than any other and his advisement the first [duty], for that he uniteth in himself all the people, and but for the king’s presence, the subjects would perish; wherefore I have brought [thee] warning.’ The king put faith in his words and sent with him those who should lay hands upon the woman and put her to death; but they found her not.

As for the woman, whenas the man went out from her, she resolved to depart; so she went forth, saying in herself, ‘There is no journeying for me in woman’s attire.’ Then she donned men’s apparel, such as is worn of the pious, and set out and wandered over the earth; nor did she leave going till she entered a certain city.