cipal and
75 subordinate under the third, and 6 principal and 12 subordinate
under the fourth heading. This gives a total of 170 principal and 96
subordinate stories in Burton's edition, while Payne gives one
principal story and one subordinate one less, his numbers being 169
and 95 respectively. By principal is meant the main or chief story,
while by subordinate is meant another story forming part of the main
story. In Oriental literature this custom is frequently introduced. A
story is commenced, but owing to some allusion in it another story is
interpolated, and when this is finished, the original tale is reverted
to, only, perhaps, to be interpolated again by another story, and so
on.

Out of this mass of fable, tale and story, it is difficult to select
any particular ones that may prove interesting to everybody. Some are
very good, others good, some fairish, and others indifferent; but all
are more or less interesting, as they deal with all sorts and
conditions of men and women, and all sorts of events and situations.
Personally, some twelve stories have struck me as particularly
interesting or amusing, though it does not at all follow that what one
person fancies another person cares about. A perusal of the work
itself will enable its readers to find out what they like for
themselves, while the following brief remarks on the twelve stories
alluded to above will give a scanty outline of them.

The tale of Aziz and Azizah is one of the best in the whole
collection. It represents the care and fondness of a truly loving
woman, who did her best to shield and protect her very stupid cousin.
It is said that people marry for three reasons, viz., for love, for
money, or for protection. In truth, nobody can protect a man from a
woman as another woman. No man can drive off a woman, divine her
intention, or insult her so violently as a woman can, and this is
generally understood both in the East and West. In the present story,
Azizah first helps her cousin Aziz to woo and win, endeavouring to
shield and protect him at the same time from this daughter of Dalilah,
the wily one. Had it not been for Azizah's good advice and farewell
saying of "Faith is fair, and unfaith is foul," Aziz would have surely
perished. Eventually, the loving Azizah dies of a broken heart.

Aziz, though repeatedly warned by his mistress, the daughter of
Dalilah, not to have anything to do with the sex on account of his
youth and simplicity, falls int