see the comfort thereof." And quoth he, "Do so." So quoth I to him,

"Furnish me with some woods." which being brought, I sought me a



clever carpenter and sitting by him, showed him how to make the

saddletree, portraying for him the fashion thereof in ink on the wood.



Then I took wool and teased it and made felt of it, and, covering

the saddletree with leather, stuffed it, and polished it, and attached



the girth and stirrup leathers. After which I fetched a blacksmith and

described to him the fashion of the stirrups and bridle bit. So he



forged a fine pair of stirrups and a bit, and filed them smooth and

tinned them. Moreover, I made fast to them fringes of silk and



fitted bridle leathers to the bit. Then I fetched one of the best of

the royal horses and saddling and bridling him, hung the stirrups to



the saddle and led him to the King. The thing took his fancy and he

thanked me, then he mounted and rejoiced greatly in the saddle and



rewarded me handsomely for my work.

When the King's Wazir saw the saddle, he asked of me one like it,



and I made it for him. Furthermore, all the grandees and officers of

state came for saddles to me, so I fell to making saddles (having



taught the craft to the carpenter and blacksmith) and selling them

to all who sought, till I amassed great wealth and became in high



honor and great favor with the King and his household and grandees.

I abode thus till one day, as I was sitting with the King in all



respect and contentment, he said to me: "Know thou, O such a one, thou

art become one of us, dear as a brother, and we hold thee in such



regard and affection that we cannot part with thee nor suffer thee

to leave our city. Wherefore I desire of thee obedience in a certain



matter, and I will not have thee gainsay me." Answered I: "O King,

what is it thou desirest of me? Far be it from me to gainsay thee in



aught, for I am indebted to thee for many favors and bounties and much

kindness, and (praised be Allah!) I am become one of thy servants."



Quoth he: "I have a mind to marry thee to a fair, clever, and

agreeable wife who is wealthy" target="_blank" title="a.富有的；丰富的">wealthy as she is beautiful, so thou mayest be



naturalized and domiciled with us. I will lodge thee with me in my

palace, wherefore oppose me not neither cross me in this." When I



heard these words I was ashamed and held my peace nor could make him

any answer, by reason of my much bashfulness before him. Asked he,



"Why dost thou not reply to me, O my son?" and I answered, saying,

"O my master, it is thine to command, O King of the Age!" So he



summoned the kazi and the witnesses and married me straightway to a

lady of a noble tree and high pedigree, wealthy" target="_blank" title="a.富有的；丰富的">wealthy in moneys and means,



the flower of an ancient race, of surpassing beauty and grace, and the

owner of farms and estates and many a dwelling place.



Now after the King my master had married me to this choice wife,

he also gave me a great and goodly house standing alone, together with



slaves and officers, and assigned me pay and allowances. So I became

in all ease and contentment and delight and forgot everything which



had befallen" target="_blank" title="befall的过去分词">befallen me of weariness and trouble and hardship. For I loved

my wife with fondest love and she loved me no less, and we were as



one, and abode in the utmost comfort of life and in its happiness. And

I said in myself, "When I return to my native land, I will carry her



with me." But whatso is predestined to a man, that needs must be,

and none knoweth what shall befall him. We lived thus a great while,



till Almighty Allah bereft one of my neighbors of his wife. Now he was

a gossip of mine, so hearing the cry of the keeners, I went in to



condole him on his loss and found him in very ill plight, full of

trouble and weary of soul and mind. I condoled with him and



comforted him, saying: "Mourn not for thy wife, who hath now found the

mercy of Allah. The Lord will surely give thee a better in her



stead, and thy name shall be great and thy life shall be long in the

land, Inshallah!"



But he wept bitter tears and replied: "O my friend, how can I

marry another wife, and how shall Allah replace her to me with a



better than she, whenas I have but one day left to live?" "O my

brother," said I, "return to thy senses and announce not glad



tidings of thine own death, for thou art well, sound, and in good

case." "By thy life, O my friend," rejoined he, "tomorrow thou wilt



lose me, and wilt never see me again till the Day of Resurrection."

I asked, "How so?" and he answered: "This very day they bury my



wife, and they bury me with her in one tomb. For it is the custom with

us, if the wife die first, to bury the husband alive with her, and



in like manner the wife if the husband die first, so that neither

may enjoy life after losing his or her mate." "By Allah," cried I,

• voyage [´vɔi-idʒ] n.&vi.航海；航程；旅行 (初中英语单词)


• traffic [´træfik] n.交通，运输 (初中英语单词)


• costly [´kɔstli] a.昂贵的；费用大的 (初中英语单词)


• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)


• breeze [bri:z] n.微风；不费力的事 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


• furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• anchor [´æŋkə] n.锚 v.抛锚 (初中英语单词)


• shortly [´ʃɔ:tli] ad.立刻，马上；不久 (初中英语单词)


• wrought [rɔ:t] work 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• hunger [´hʌŋgə] n.饥饿；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• thirst [θə:st] n.渴，口渴；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• abundance [ə´bʌndəns] n.丰富，充裕 (初中英语单词)


• stress [stres] n.强调；压力 vt.强调 (初中英语单词)


• therewith [ðɛə´wið] ad.于是，随即 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• pasture [´pɑ:stʃə] n.牧场；放牧 v.吃(草) (初中英语单词)


• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)


• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)


• stomach [´stʌmək] n.胃；胃口，食欲 (初中英语单词)


• pepper [´pepə] n.胡椒 vt.加胡椒 (初中英语单词)


• wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)


• saddle [´sædl] n.鞍子 v.装鞍(于) (初中英语单词)


• carpenter [´kɑ:pintə] n.木工 vi.做木工活 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)


• affection [ə´fekʃən] n.友爱；慈爱 (初中英语单词)


• ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)


• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• utmost [´ʌtməust] a.最大的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• replace [ri´pleis] vt.放回；复置；取代 (初中英语单词)


• enjoyment [in´dʒɔimənt] n.享受；愉快；乐趣 (高中英语单词)


• repose [ri´pəuz] v.&n.(使)休息；安息 (高中英语单词)


• founder [´faundə] n.奠基者 v.陷落 (高中英语单词)


• sunrise [´sʌnraiz] n.日出，黎明 (高中英语单词)


• devour [di´vauə] vt.吞食；毁坏 (高中英语单词)


• straightway [´streitwei] ad.立刻 (高中英语单词)


• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• famine [´fæmin] n.饥荒 (高中英语单词)


• surrounding [sə´raundiŋ] n.周围的事物 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• merchandise [´mə:tʃəndaiz] n.商品 v.经商 (高中英语单词)


• therein [ðeə´rin] ad.在那里，在其中 (高中英语单词)


• blacksmith [´blæk,smiθ] n.铁匠，锻工 (高中英语单词)


• bridle [´braidl] n.(马)笼头；束缚 (高中英语单词)


• furthermore [,fə:ðə´mɔ:] ad.而且，此外 (高中英语单词)


• obedience [ə´bi:djəns] n.服从；顺从 (高中英语单词)


• goodly [´gudli] a.适意的；漂亮的 (高中英语单词)


• hardship [´hɑ:dʃip] n.受苦，吃苦；苦难 (高中英语单词)


• befall [bi´fɔ:l] v.降临；发表(于) (高中英语单词)


• gossip [´gɔsip] n.&vi.说闲话；聊天 (高中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• plight [plait] n.境况；困境；苦境 (高中英语单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• afloat [ə´fləut] ad.&a.漂浮；在海上 (英语四级单词)


• almighty [ɔ:l´maiti] a.万能的；全能的 (英语四级单词)


• weariness [wiərinis] n.疲倦；厌烦 (英语四级单词)


• whereof [weər´ɔv] ad.关于什么；关于那事 (英语四级单词)


• coconut [´kəukənʌt] n.椰子(果)；头 (英语四级单词)


• whereupon [,weərə´pɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语四级单词)


• sickly [´sikli] a.多病的；病态的 (英语四级单词)


• right-hand [´rait´hænd] a.右手的，右边的 (英语四级单词)


• gathering [´gæðəriŋ] n.集会，聚集 (英语四级单词)


• whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)


• whereat [weər´æt] ad.对于…；在这里 (英语四级单词)


• befallen [bi´fɔ:lən] befall的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• stirrup [´stirəp] n.马蹬；镫形具 (英语四级单词)


• contentment [kən´tentmənt] n.满足；使人满意的事 (英语四级单词)


• wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)


• trusting [´trʌstiŋ] a.信任的；相信的 (英语六级单词)


• whereon [weər´ɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语六级单词)


• narrowly [´nærəuli] ad.勉强地；严密地 (英语六级单词)


• herdsman [´hə:dzmən] n.牧民，牧人 (英语六级单词)


• honorably [´ɔnərəbli] ad.光荣地；光明正大地 (英语六级单词)


• solace [´sɔləs] n.&vt.安慰(物)；缓和 (英语六级单词)


• populous [´pɔpjuləs] a.人口稠密的；众多的 (英语六级单词)


• indebted [in´detid] a.负债的；感恩的 (英语六级单词)


• bereft [bi´reft] bereave的过去分词 (英语六级单词)