man scanty of sense. If he cannot manage matters with a single wife,
his life is not worth prolonging. Now I have some fifty dame partlets,

and I please this and provoke that and starve one and stuff another,
and through my good governance they are all well under my control.

This our master pretendeth to wit and wisdom, and she hath but one
wife and yet knoweth not how to manage her." Asked the dog, "What

then, O Cock, should the master do to will clear of his strait?" "He
should arise forthright," answered the cock, "and take some twigs from

yon mulberry tree and give her a regular back-basting and
ribroasting till she cry: 'I repent, O my lord! I will never ask

thee a question as Ion, as I live!' Then let him beat her once more
and soundly, and when he shall have done this, he shall sleep free

from care and enjoy life. But this master of ours owns neither sense
nor judgment."

"Now, Daughter Scheherazade," continued the Wazir, "I will do to
thee as did that husband to that wife." Said Scheherazade, "And what

did he do?" He replied, "When the merchant heard the wise words spoken
by his cock to his dog, he arose in haste and sought his wife's

chamber, after cutting for her some mulberry twigs and hiding them
there. And then he called to her, "Come into the closet, that I may

tell thee the secret while no one seeth me, and then die." She entered
with him and he locked the door and came down upon her with so sound a

beating of back and shoulders, ribs, arms, and legs, saying the
while "Wilt thou ever be asking questions about what concerneth thee

not?" that she was well-nigh senseless. Presently she cried out: "I am
of the repentant! By Allah, I will ask thee no more questions, and

indeed I repentsincerely and wholesomely." Then she kissed his hand
and feet and he led her out of the room submissive, as a wife should

be. Her parents and all the company rejoiced and sadness and
mourning were changed into joy and gladness.

Thus the merchant learnt family discipline from his cock and he
and his wife lived together the happiest of lives until death. And

thou also, O my daughter! continued the Wazir, unless thou turn from
this matter I will do by thee what that trader did to his wife. But

she answered him with much decision: "I will never desist, O my
father, nor shall this tale change my purpose. Leave such talk and

tattle. I will not listen to thy words and if thou deny me, I will
marry myself to him despite the nose of thee. And first I will go up

to the King myself and alone and I will say to him: 'I prayed my
father to wive me with thee, but he refused, being resolved to

disappoint his lord, grudging the like of me to the like of thee'."
Her father asked, "Must this needs be?" and she answered, "Even so."

Hereupon the Wazir, being weary of lamenting and contending,
persuading and dissuading her, all to no purpose, went up to King

Shahryar and, after blessing him and kissing the ground before him,
told him all about his dispute with his daughter from first to last

and how he designed to bring her to him that night. The King
wondered with exceeding wonder, for he had made an especial

exception of the Wazir's daughter, and said to him: "O most faithful
of counsellors, how is this? Thou wettest that I have sworn by the

Raiser of the Heavens that after I have gone into her this night I
shall say to thee on the morrow's 'Take her and slay her!' And if thou

slay her not, I will slay thee in her stead without fail." "Allah
guide thee to glory and lengthen thy life, O King of the Age,"

answered the Wazir. "It is she that hath so determined. All this
have I told her and more, but she will not hearken to me and she

persisteth in passing this coming night with the King's Majesty." So
Shahryar rejoiced greatly and said, "'Tis well. Go get her ready,

and this night bring her to me." The Wazir returned to his daughter
and reported to her the command, saying, "Allah make not thy father

desolate by thy loss!"
But Scheherazade rejoiced with exceeding joy and get ready all she

required and said to her younger sister, Dunyazade: "Note well what
directions I entrust to thee! When I have gone into the King I will

send for thee, and when thou comest to me and seest that he hath had
his carnal will of me, do thou say to me: 'O my sister, an thou be

not sleepy, relate to me some new story, delectable and delightsome,
the better to speed our waking hours.' And I will tell thee a tale

which shall be our deliverance, if so Allah please, and which shall
turn the King from his bloodthirsty custom." Dunyazade answered

"With love and gladness."
So when it was night, their father the Wazir carried Scheherazade to

the King, who was gladdened at the sight and asked, "Hast thou brought
me my need?" And he answered, "I have." But when the King took her

to his bed and fell to toying with her and wished to go in to her, she
wept, which made him ask, "What aileth thee?" She replied, "O King

of the Age, I have a younger sister, and lief would I take leave of
her this night before I see the dawn." So he sent at once for

Dunyazade and she came and kissed the ground between his hands, when
he permitted her to take her seat near the foot of the couch. Then the

King arose and did away with his bride's maidenhead and the three fell
asleep.

But when it was midnight Scheherazade awoke and signaled to her
sister Dunyazade, who sat up and said, "Allah upon thee, O my

sister, recite to us some new story, delightsome and delectable,
wherewith to while away the waking hours of our latter night." "With

joy and goodly gree," answered Scheherazade, "if this pious and
auspicious King permit me." "Tell on," quoth the King, who chanced

to be sleepless and restless and therefore was pleased with the
prospect of hearing her story. So Scheherazade rejoiced, and thus,

on the first night of the Thousand Nights and a Night, she began her
recitations.

• starve [stɑ:v] v.(使)饥饿 (初中英语单词)
• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)
• closet [´klɔzit] n.橱；私室；盥洗室 (初中英语单词)
• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
• learnt [lə:nt] learn 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)
• discipline [´disiplin] n.纪律；训练 (初中英语单词)
• despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)
• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
• dispute [di´spju:t] v.&n.争论，辩论；争吵 (初中英语单词)
• relate [ri´leit] v.阐明；使联系；涉及 (初中英语单词)
• midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)
• recite [ri´sait] v.背诵；叙述 (初中英语单词)
• restless [´restləs] a.没有休息的 (初中英语单词)
• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
• scanty [´skænti] a.贫乏的；节省的 (高中英语单词)
• provoke [prə´vəuk] vt.挑拨；煽动；引起 (高中英语单词)
• repent [ri´pent] v.后悔；悔改；悔悟 (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
• sincerely [sin´siəli] ad.真诚地；诚恳地 (高中英语单词)
• sadness [´sædnis] n.悲哀；悲痛；凄惨 (高中英语单词)
• trader [´treidə] n.商人；商船 (高中英语单词)
• sleepy [´sli:pi] a.困的，想睡的 (高中英语单词)
• goodly [´gudli] a.适意的；漂亮的 (高中英语单词)
• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
• senseless [´sensləs] a.无知觉的；愚蠢的 (英语四级单词)
• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)
• exceeding [ik´si:diŋ] a.超越的，非常的 (英语四级单词)
• lengthen [´leŋθən] v.(使)变长，延伸 (英语四级单词)
• hearken [´hɑ:kən] vi.听 (英语四级单词)
• entrust [in´trʌst] vt.委托；信托 (英语四级单词)
• deliverance [di´livərəns] n.援救；获释 (英语四级单词)
• mulberry [´mʌlbəri] n.桑树；深紫红色 (英语六级单词)
• sleepless [´sli:pləs] a.失眠的；寂静的 (英语六级单词)