Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/317

283 When the King heard this (it being the fourth day), he bade put his son to death; but the fourth vizier entered and kissing the ground before him, said, ‘May God stablish and protect the King! O King, be deliberate in doing this thou art resolved upon, for the wise man doth nothing till he have considered the issue thereof, and the proverb says, “He who looks not to the issue of his actions, fortune is no friend to him;” and whoso acteth without consideration, there befalleth him what befell the bathkeeper with his wife.’ ‘And what was that?’ asked the King. ‘I have heard tell, O King,’ answered the vizier, ‘that THE VIZIER’S SON AND THE BATHKEEPER’S WIFE.

There was once a bathkeeper, to whom resorted the notables and chiefs of the folk, and one day there came in to him a handsome young man of the sons of the viziers, who was fat and stout of body. So he stood to serve him and when the young man put off his clothes, he saw not his yard, for that it was hidden between his thighs, by reason of the excess of his fat, and there appeared thereof but what was like unto a filbert. At this, the bathkeeper fell a-lamenting and smiting hand upon hand, which when the youth saw, he said to him, “O bathkeeper, what ails thee to lament thus?” And he answered, saying, “O my lord, my lamentation is for thee, because thou art in sore straits, for all thy fair fortune and goodliness and exceeding grace, seeing thou hast nought wherewithal to do delight, like unto other men.” Quoth the young man, “Thou sayst sooth, but thou mindest me of somewhat I had forgotten.” “What is that?” asked the bathkeeper, and the youth said, “Take this dinar and fetch me a handsome woman, that I may prove myself on her.” So he took the money