Страница 662 из 1116

Presently the Tailor's wife took a great fid of fish and gave it

in a gobbet to the Gobbo, stopping his mouth with her hand and

saying, "By Allah, thou must down with it at a single gulp; and I

will not give thee time to chew it." So he bolted it; but therein

was a stiff bone which stuck in his gullet and, his hour being

come, he died.-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased

saying her permitted say.

When it was the Twenty-fifth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the

Tailor's wife gave the Hunchback that mouthful of fish which

ended his term of days he died on the instant. Seeing this the

Tailor cried aloud, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might

save in Allah! Alas, that this poor wretch should have died in so

foolish fashion at our hands!" and the woman rejoined, "Why this

idle talk? Hast thou not heard his saying who said:-