said, "for five hundred rupees." "Give me the
thread," said the king; "here are your five hundred rupees. Can I dine
with you at your house?" "Yes," she said, "to-night at two o'clock."

Then she went home and sent one of her servants to the bazar to buy
her four large chests; and she told her other servants that they were
to get ready four very good dinners for her. Each dinner was to be
served in a different room; and one was to be ready at ten o'clock
that night, one at eleven, one at twelve, and one at two in the
morning. The servant brought her four large chests, and she had them
placed in four different rooms.

At ten o'clock the kotwal arrived. The merchant's wife greeted him
graciously, and they sat down and dined. After dinner she said to him,
"Can you play at cards?" "Yes," he answered. She brought some cards,
and they sat and played till the clock struck eleven, when the
doorkeeper came in to say, "The wazir is here, and wishes to see you."
The kotwal was in a dreadful fright. "Do hide me somewhere," he said
to her. "I have no place where you can hide in this room," she
answered; "but in another room I have a big chest. I will shut you up
in that if you like, and when the wazir is gone, I will let you out of
it." So she took him into the next room, and he got into one of the
four big chests, and she shut down the lid and locked it.

Then she bade the doorkeeper bring in the wazir, and they dined
together. After dinner she said, "Can you play at cards?" "Yes," said
the wazir. She took out the cards, and they played till twelve
o'clock, when the doorkeeper came to say the kazi had come to see her.
"Oh, hide me! hide me!" cried the wazir in a great fright. "If you
come to another room," she said, "I will hide you in a big chest I
have. I can let you out when he is gone." So she locked the wazir up
in the second chest.

She and the kazi now dined. Then she said, "Can you play at cards?"
"Yes," said the kazi. So they sat playing at cards till two o'clock,
when the doorkeeper said the king had come to see her. "Oh, what shall
I do?" said the kazi, terribly frightened. "Do hide me. Do not let me
be seen by the king." "You can hide in a big chest I have in another
room, if you like," she answered, "till he is gone." And she locked up
the kazi in her third chest.

The king now came in, and they dined. "Will you play a little game at
cards?" she asked. "Yes," said the king. So they played till three
o'clock, whe