us more than that they were strangers in this
city." "It is," continued the sultan, "absolutely necessary that
you should bring them to my presence, for it is long since I have
beheld my old friends." "Permit us then to return home, where
they may possibly visit us again," said the fisherman, "and we
will oblige them to come with us." "How can you do that," replied
the sultan, "when the other evening you could not prevent your
guest escaping, though you had him by the nose?"

The poor fisherman, and his companion the cauzee, were now
confounded at the discovery that it was the sultan himself who
had witnessed their intoxication and ridiculous transports. They
trembled, turned pale, and fell prostrate to the ground, crying,
"Pardon, pardon, gracious sovereign, for the offences we have
committed, and the insult which in our madness we offered to the
sacred person of your majesty."

The sultan, after laughing heartily at their distress, replied,
"Your pardon is granted, for the insult was involuntary, though
deserved, as I was an impertinent intruder on your privacy; make
yourselves easy, and sit down; but you must each of you relate to
me your adventures, or some story that you have heard." The
cauzee and the fisherman, having recovered from their confusion,
obeyed the commands of the sultan, and being seated, the latter
related the following tale.

Story of the Bang-eater and His Wife.

There lived formerly, near Bagdad, a half-witted fellow, who was
much addicted to the use of bang. Being reduced to poverty, he
was obliged to sell his stock. One day he went to the market to
dispose of a cow; but the animal being in bad order, no one would
bid for it, and after waiting till he was weary he returned
homewards. On the way he stopped to repose himself under a tree,
and tied the cow to one of the branches while he ate some bread,
and drank of an infusion of his beloved bang, which he always
carried with him. In a short time it began to operate, so as to
bereave him of the little sense he possessed, and his head was
filled with ridiculous reveries. While he was musing, a magpie
beginning to chatter from her nest in the tree, he fancied it was
a human voice, and that some woman had asked to purchase his cow:
upon which he said, "Reverend mother of Solomon, dost thou wish
to buy my cow?" The bird croaked again. "Well," replied he, "what
wilt thou give if I will sell her a bargain." The bird repeat