Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/61

45 of piety and cozening them with fine words, till they put faith in him and entered his den, without suspicion, whereupon he sprang to the door and gnashed his tusks, and the pigeon, seeing his perfidy manifested, said to him, ‘What has to-night to do with yester-night? Knowest thou not that there is a Helper for the oppressed? Beware of treachery and craft, lest there befall thee what befell the sharpers who plotted against the merchant.’ ‘What was that?’ asked the hedgehog. ‘I have heard tell,’ answered the pigeon, ‘that THE MERCHANT AND THE TWO SHARPERS.

There was once in a city called Sendeh a very wealthy merchant, who made ready merchandise and set out with it for such a city, thinking to sell it there. There followed him two sharpers, who had made up into bales what goods they could get and giving out to him that they also were merchants, companied with him by the way. At the first halting-place, they agreed to play him false and take his goods; but, at the same time, each purposed inwardly foul play to the other, saying in himself, “If I can cheat my comrade, it will be well for me and I shall have all to myself.” So each took food and putting therein poison, brought it to his fellow; and they both ate of the poisoned mess and died. Now they had been sitting talking with the merchant; so when they left him and were long absent from him, he sought for them and found them both dead; whereby he knew that they were sharpers, who had plotted to play him foul, but their treachery had recoiled upon themselves; so the merchant was preserved and took what they had.’”

“O Shehrzad,” said the Sultan, “verily thou hast aroused me to all whereof I was negligent! Continue to edify me with these fables.” Quoth she, “It has come to my knowledge, O King, that