y found
the couple both lying as if dead. After examining them, however,
the doctor realized that they were merely feigning death. He was
so pleased by the joke, and so glad to find his old servants alive,
that he took them home with him and made them stay at his house.

Notes.

This droll seems to be derived from the "1001 Nights" (271st to 290th
nights of the Breslau edition, "The Story of Abu-l-hasan the Wag, or
the Sleeper Awakened"). The Arabian story is not only more detailed,
but contains much preliminary matter that is altogether lacking in
our story. In fact, the two are so dissimilar, except for the trick
the husband and wife play on their benefactor to get more money,
that it is hard to demonstrate a historical connection between the two.

I have in text and translation (the latter unpublished) a Tagalog
metrical version of the Arabian story. This metrical version, which
is told in 1240 lines, is entitled (in translation) "The Story of
Abu-Hasan, Who dreamed when he was Awake. Poem by Franz Molteni. First
edition, Manila." Although this work is not dated, it probably appeared
after 1900. In general, the Tagalog poem agrees with the "1001 Nights"
story, though it differs in details. An analysis of the differences
in the first part of the narratives need not concern us here, as our
folk-tale is connected with only the last third of the romance.

In the metrical version, after Abu, through the favor of the sultan,
has been married to Nuzhat, one of the ladies-in-waiting, the new
couple begin to live extravagantly, and soon exhaust the dowry and
wedding gifts. Then after much deliberation Abu decides to go to
the sultan, tell him that Nuzhat his wife is dead, and ask for
money for her burial. The ruse succeeds; Abu returns home with
a thousand ounces of gold. He at once counsels his wife to go to
the sultana with a similar story that he is dead and that money is
needed for his funeral. Nuzhat, too, receives a thousand ounces from
the sultana. The sultan now visits his wife, and tells her of the
death of Nuzhat. She insists that it is Abu who is dead, and they
argue violently about the matter. Finally the sultan decides to send
one of his servants to report the truth. When Abu sees the servant
coming, he bids his wife lie on the bier, and the servant is shown
her corpse. He reports that it is Nuzhat who is dead. The sultana
is enraged at the servant's statement, and sends her nurse for the
truth. This time