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Know, O Commander of the Faithful, that I had a father who, after

fulfilling his time, deceased and left me great store of wealth.

I remained single for a short time and presently married one of

the richest of his day. I abode with him a year when he also

died, and my share of his property amounted to eighty thousand

dinars in gold according to the holy law of inheritance.[FN#328]

Thus I became passing rich and my reputation spread far and wide,

for I had made me ten changes of raiment, each worth a thousand

dinars One day as I was sitting at home, behold, there came in to

me an old woman[FN#329] with lantern jaws and cheeks sucked in,

and eyes rucked up, and eyebrows scant and scald, and head bare

and bald; and teeth broken by time and mauled, and back bending

and neck nape nodding, and face blotched, and rheum running, and

hair like a snake black and white speckled, in complexion a very

fright, even as saith the poet of the like of her:-