Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/36

20 till one day he espied a spider on the ceiling and beat it down. When his wife saw it, she said, ‘This is that which the wise woman avouched would kill me; so, by thy life [I conjure thee], suffer me to slay it with mine own hand.’ Her husband forbade her from this, but she conjured him to let her kill the spider; then, of her fear and her eagerness, she took a piece of wood and smote it. The wood broke in sunder, of the force of the blow, and a splinter from it entered her hand and wrought upon it, so that it swelled. Then her arm swelled also and the swelling spread to her side and thence grew till it reached her heart and she died. Nor,” added the vizier, “is this more extraordinary or more wonderful than the story of the weaver who became a physician by his wife’s commandment.”

When the king heard this, his admiration redoubled and he said, “Of a truth, destiny is forewritten to all creatures, and I will not accept aught that is said against my vizier the loyal counsellor.” And he bade him go to his house.