an so much to the quick
that he left his own house and affairs with a resolution to ruin him.
With this intent he went to the new convent of dervishes, of which his
former neighbor was the head, who received him with all imaginable
tokens of friendship. The envious man told him that he was come to
communicate a business of importance, which he could not do but in
private; "and that nobody may hear us," he said, "let us take a walk
in your court; and seeing night begins to draw on, command your
dervishes to retire to their cells." The chief of the dervishes did as
he was requested.

When the envious man saw that he was alone with this good man, he
began to tell him his errand, walking side by side in the court, till
he saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the
well, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it.

This old well was inhabited by peris[17] and genies, which happened
luckily for the relief of the head of the convent; for they received
and supported him, and carried him to the bottom, so that he got no
hurt. He perceived that there was something extraordinary in his fall,
which must otherwise have cost him his life; but he neither saw nor
felt anything.

[Footnote 17: The word peri, in the Persian language, signifies that
beautiful race of creatures which constitutes the link between angels
and men.]

He soon heard a voice, however, which said, "Do you know what honest
man this is, to whom we have done this service?"

Another voice answered, "No." To which the first replied, "Then I
will tell you. This man, out of charity, left the town he lived in,
and has established himself in this place, in hopes to cure one of his
neighbors of the envy he had conceived against him; he had acquired
such a general esteem that the envious man, not able to endure it,
came hither on purpose to ruin him; and he would have accomplished his
design had it not been for the assistance we have given this honest
man, whose reputation is so great that the sultan, who keeps his
residence in the neighboring city, was to pay him a visit to-morrow,
to recommend the princess his daughter to his prayers."

Another voice asked, "What need had the princess of the dervish's
prayers?" To which the first answered, "You do not know, it seems,
that she is possessed by a genie. But I well know how this good
dervish may cure her. He has a black cat in his convent, with a white
spot at the end of her tail, about the b