202 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

an old slave, who brought me something by way of food. Iasked
her for some information about the favourite. ‘She is very ill,’
she said, ‘on account of the poisonous odour you made her
breathe. Why did you not take care to wash your hands after
eating of that diabolical ragout ?? ‘Is it possible, then, I
answered, ‘that the delicacy and sensibility of these ladies is so
great, and that they can be so vindictive for so slight a fault ?
I nevertheless still loved my wife in spite of her cruelty.

“ One day the old slave said to me, ‘Your bride is cured, she
is gone to the bath, and she told me that she intended to come
and visit you to-morrow. Have, therefore, a little patience, and
endeavour to accommodate yourself to her humour. She is
very wise, and indeed very reasonable ; and is moreover very
much beloved by all the females that are in the service of
Zobeidé, our respectable mistress.’

“My wife, in fact, came to see me the next day, and she
immediately said to me, ‘You must think me very good to come
and see you again, after the offence you have given me; but I
cannot bring myself to be reconciled to you till I have punished
you as you deserve for not washing your hands after having
eaten of the ragout with garlic’ She had no sooner said this
than she called to the women, who instantly entered and laid
me down upon the ground according to her orders; and after
they had bound me, she took a razor, and had the barbarity to
cut off my two thumbs and two great toes with her own hands.
One of the women immediately applied a certain root to stop
the blood; but this did not prevent me from fainting in con-
sequence of both the quantity I lost before the remedy took
effect, and the great pain I suffered.

“When I recovered from my fainting-fit, they gave me some
wine, in order to recruit my strength and spirits. ‘Ah, madam,’
I then said to my wife, ‘if it should ever fall to my lot again to
partake of a ragout with garlic, I swear to you that instead of
once I will wash my hands one hundred and twenty times ;
with alkali, with the ashes of the plant from which alkali is
made, and with soap. ‘Well then, replied my wife, ‘on this
condition I will forget what has passed, and live with you as
my husband.’ :

“This is the reason (continued the merchant of Bagdad