en she, whom he had said was the mother, fell
into agonies, and besought its life; but the other was unmoved,
and assented to the death of the child. He then ordered her to be
severely punished, and committed the boy to its afflicted mother.
On being asked on what proofs he had grounded his decision, he
replied, "On two: the first, because the milk of a woman having
produced a male child is always heavier than that of the mother
of a female infant: the second, because the pretended mother
consented to the boy's death; and I supposed it impossible for a
woman to agree to the destruction of her offspring, which is a
part of herself."

THE SULTAN AND THE TRAVELLER MHAMOOD AL
HYJEMMEE.

There was a sultan, who one evening being somewhat low-spirited,
sent for his vizier, and said, "I know not the cause, but my mind
is uneasy, and I want something to divert it." "If so," replied
the vizier, "I have a friend, named Mhamood al Hyjemmee, a
celebrated traveller, who has witnessed many wonderful
occurrences, and can relate a variety of astonishing narratives.
Shall I send for him to the presence?" "By all means," answered
the sultan, "that I may hear his relations." The minister
departed, and informed his friend that the sultan desired to see
him. "To hear is to obey," replied Mhamood, and hastened with the
vizier to the palace.

When they had entered the palace, Mhamood made the obeisance
usual to the caliphs, and uttered a poetical invocation for the
prosperity of the sultan, who returned his salute; and after
desiring him to be seated, said, "Mhamood, my mind is uneasy, and
as I hear you are acquainted with many curious events, I wish you
to relate some of them to amuse me." Mhamood replied, "To hear is
to obey;" and thus began an adventure of his own.

The Koord Robber.

Some years ago I took a journey from my own country to the land
of Yemen, accompanied by a slave, who was a lad of much ready
wit, and who carried a wallet containing a few necessaries. As we
were entering a town, a rascally koord snatched the wallet from
his hands, and asserted that it was his own, which we had stolen
from him: upon which, I called out to some passengers to assist
me in the recovery of my property, and they helped me to carry
the sharper before the cauzee, to whom I complained of his
assault. The magistrate asked the koord what he had to allege in
h