appearance. The caliph retired from the door with the
same caution as he had made his approaches to it; and coming to
the grand vizier, who was standing on the steps a little lower,
"Come up," said he to him, "and see if those within are the
ministers of the mosque, as you would have made me believe."

By the tone of voice in which the caliph spoke these last words,
the vizier understood that things went ill on his side: however,
he went up the steps; but when he had peeped in at the door, and
saw the three sitting in that condition, he trembled for his
life. He returned to the caliph, but in such confusion, that he
knew not what to say. "What riotous doings are here?" said the
caliph to him: "who are these people that have presumed to take
the liberty of diverting themselves in my garden and pavilion?
and how durst Scheich Ibrahim give them admittance, and partake
of the diversion with them? I must, however, confess, I never saw
two persons more beautiful or better paired in my life; and
therefore, before I discover my anger, I will inform myself
better, and know who they are, and the reason of their being
here." He went to the door again to observe them more narrowly;
and the vizier, who followed, stood behind him, while he fixed
his eyes upon them. They both plainly heard every word that
Scheich Ibrahim said to the fair Persian. "Is there any thing, my
charming lady, wanting to render the pleasure of the evening more
complete?" "Nothing but a lute," replied the fair Persian, "and
methinks, if you could get me one, all would be well." "Can you
play upon it?" said Scheich Ibrahim. "Fetch me one," replied the
fair Persian, "and you shall hear whether I can or not."

Scheich Ibrahim, without stirring very far from his place, took a
lute out of a press, and presented it to the fair Persian, who
begun to tune it. The caliph, in the mean time, turning to the
grand vizier, "Jaaffier," said he, "the young lady is going to
play upon the lute; and if she performs well, I will forgive her,
and the young man for her sake; but as for thee, I will have thee
impaled." "Commander of the true believers," replied the grand
vizier, "if that is your intention, I wish to God she may play
ill." "Why so?" said the caliph. "Because," replied the grand
vizier, "the longer we live in this world, the more reason we
shall have to comfort ourselves with the hopes of dying in good
sociable company." The caliph, who loved a repartee, began to