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

merchant continued as follows: Now when I testified, "I bear

witness that there is no god save the God," I heard my mistress

the handmaid declare to the Caliph, "These chests, O Commander of

the Faithful, have been committed to my charge by the Lady

Zubaydah, and she doth not wish their contents to be seen by any

one." "No matter!" quoth the Caliph, "needs must they be opened,

I will see what is in them"; and he cried aloud to the eunuchs,

"Bring the chests here before me." At this I made sure of death

(without benefit of a doubt) and swooned away. Then the eunuchs

brought the chests up to him one after another and he fell to

inspecting the contents, but he saw in them only ottars and

stuffs and fine dresses; and they ceased not opening the chests

and he ceased not looking to see what was in them, finding only

clothes and such matters, till none remained unopened but the box

in which I was boxed.