 villain and set him in a sack with two quintals of lime unslacked
and tie its mouth over his head. Then lay him in a cock-boat and row out
with him in front of my palace, where thou wilt see me sitting at the
lattice. Do thou say to me:—Shall I cast him in? and if I answer, “Cast
him!” throw the sack into the sea, so the quicklime may be slaked on him
to the intent that he shall die drowned and burnt.”[223] “Hearkening and
obeying;” quoth the Captain and taking Abu Sir from the presence carried
him to an island facing the King’s palace, where he said to him, “Ho
thou, I once visited thy Hammam and thou entreatedst me with honour and
accomplishedst all my needs and I had great pleasure of thee: moreover,
thou swarest that thou wouldst take no pay of me, and I love thee with a
great love. So tell me how the case standeth between thee and the King
and what abominable deed thou hast done with him that he is wroth with
thee and hath commanded me that thou shouldst die this foul death.”
Answered Abu Sir, “I have done nothing, nor weet I of any crime I have
committed against him which meriteth this!”——And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.


       Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Sea-captain asked Abu Sir the cause of the King’s wrath with him, he
replied, “By Allah, O my brother I have committed no crime against him
which meriteth this!” Rejoined the Captain, “Verily, thou wast high in
rank with the King, such as none ever won before thee, and all who are
prosperous are envied. Haply some one was jealous of thy good fortune
and threw out certain hints concerning thee to the King, by reason
whereof he is become enraged against thee with rage so violent: but be
of good cheer; no harm shall befal thee; for, even as thou entreatedst
me generously, without acquaintanceship between me and thee, so now I
will deliver thee. But, an if I release thee, thou must abi