ly for her
husband, though every one believed he was dead, and she had fifty lovers
a day at her house."

"My wives would not wait so long for me," said Zopyrus laughing. "To tell
the truth, I don't think I should be sorry to find an empty house, if I
came back after twenty years. For then I could take some new wives into
my harem, young and beautiful, instead of the unfaithful ones, who,
besides, would have grown old. But alas! every woman does not find some
one to run away with her, and our women would rather have an absent
husband than none at all."

"If your wives could hear what you are saying!" said Araspes.

"They would declare war with me at once, or, what is still worse,
conclude a peace with one another."

"How would that be worse?"

"How? it is easy to see, that you have had no experience."

"Then let us into the secrets of your married life."

"With pleasure. You can easily fancy, that five wives in one house do not
live quite so peacefully as five doves in a cage; mine at least carry on
an uninterrupted, mortal warfare. But I have accustomed myself to that,
and their sprightliness even amuses me. A year ago, however, they came to
terms with one another, and this day of peace was the most miserable in
my life."

"You are jesting."

"No, indeed, I am quite in earnest. The wretched eunuch who had to keep
watch over the five, allowed them to see an old jewel-merchant from Tyre.
Each of them chose a separate and expensive set of jewels. When I came
home Sudabe came up and begged for money to pay for these ornaments. The
things were too dear, and I refused. Every one of the five then came and
begged me separately for the money; I refused each of them point blank
and went off to court. When I came back, there were all my wives weeping
side by side, embracing one another and calling each other
fellow-sufferers. These former enemies rose up against me with the most
touching unanimity, and so overwhelmed me with revilings and threats that
I left the room. They closed their doors against me. The next morning the
lamentations of the evening before were continued. I fled once more and
went hunting with the king, and when I came back, tired, hungry and
half-frozen--for it was in spring, we were already at Ecbatana, and the
snow was lying an ell deep on the Orontes--there was no fire on the
hearth and nothing to eat. These noble creatures had entered into an
alliance in order to punish me, had put out the fire,