Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/124

106 How swift the looks that pass betwixt the twain! How fair, indeed, and how delectable! One with his eyelids writes what he would say: The other with her eyes the writ doth spell.

Then my eyes ran over with tears and I said, “O mighty Afrit and doughty hero! if a woman, lacking sense and religion, deem it unlawful to strike off my head, how can I, who am a man, bring myself to slay her whom I never saw in my life? Never will I do it, though I drink the cup of death and ruin!” And I threw the sword from my hand. Quoth the Afrit, “Ye show the good understanding between you, but I will let you see the issue of your doings.” Then he took the sword and cut off the lady’s hands and feet at four strokes; whilst I looked on and made sure of death; and she signed me a farewell with her eyes. Quoth he, “Thou cuckoldest me with thine eyes!” And struck off her head with a blow of his sword. Then he turned to me and said, “O mortal, by our law; when our wives commit adultery, it is lawful to us to put them to death. As for this woman, I stole her away on her wedding-night, when she was a girl of twelve, and she has known no one but myself. I used to come to her once in every ten days in the habit of a man, a foreigner, and pass one night with her; and when I was assured that she had played me false, I slew her. But as for thee, I am not sure that thou wast her accomplice: nevertheless, I must not let thee go unharmed; but I will grant thee a favour.” At this I rejoiced greatly and said, “What favour wilt thou grant me?” “I will give thee thy choice,” replied he, “whether I shall change thee into a dog, an ass or an ape.” Quoth I (and indeed I had hoped that he would pardon me), “By Allah, spare me, and God will reward thee for sparing a true believer, who hath done thee no harm.” And I humbled myself before him to the utmost and wept, saying, “Indeed, thou dost me injustice.’” [sic]