 were
neighbours in the market-street, where their shops stood side by side.
The dyer was a swindler and a liar, an exceeding wicked wight, as if
indeed his head-temples were hewn out of a boulder rock or fashioned of
the threshold of a Jewish synagogue, nor was he ashamed of any shameful
work he wrought amongst the folk. It was his wont, when any brought him
cloth for staining, first to require of him payment under pretence of
buying dye-stuffs therewith. So the customer would give him the wage in
advance and wend his ways, and the dyer would spend all he received on
meat and drink; after which he would sell the cloth itself as soon as
ever its owner turned his back and waste its worth in eating and
drinking and what not else, for he ate not but of the daintiest and most
delicate viands nor drank but of the best of that which doth away the
wit of man. And when the owner of the cloth came to him, he would say to
him, “Return to me to-morrow before sunrise and thou shalt find thy
stuff dyed.” So the customer would go away, saying to himself, “One day
is near another day,” and return next day at the appointed time, when
the dyer would say to him, “Come to-morrow; yesterday I was not at work,
for I had with me guests and was occupied with doing what their wants
required till they went: but to-morrow before sunrise come and take thy
cloth dyed.” So he would fare forth and return on the third day, when
Abu Kir would say to him, “Indeed yesterday I was excusable, for my wife
was brought to bed in the night and all day I was busy with manifold
matters; but to-morrow, without fail, come and take thy cloth dyed.”
When the man came again at the appointed time, he would put him off with
some other pretence, it mattered little what, and would swear to
him;——Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.


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

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that every time the
owner of an article came to the dyer he wo