HATIM TAL 63 eyelids, my infamons wife thrust the enchanted nail into my head, and instantly I was transformed into the shape of a dog. She then kicked me out of the house, and when thus driven into the public streets, all the dogs of the city flew at me. Winged with terror, I fled into the desert, and there for three days I had wandered without a morsel of food or a drop of water, until the auspicious hour when God the Supreme sent you to my relief” ‘When Hatim heard this wonderful narrative, he for some time held down his head in the lap of reflection, after which he addressed the young man, saying “ My dear friend, pray tell me where is your residence ”— It is,” said he, “about three days’ journey from this place, in the city of Suri.” That city,” rejoined Hatim, “I know well, for there resides Harith the merchant, whose beautiful daughter is s0 celebrated on account of her three questions. [am just on my return to that city, having found out the solution of her second question, which runs thus: I have done nothing that can be of use to me this night,” —“ You speak truly,” replied the young man, “as to Harith and his fair daughter, know them well, being their fellow citizen, and I rejoice in the prospect of your company thither.” Hatim then advised the young man to preserve the magic nail with the utmost care, and as soon as he arrived at his house, to serve his wife with it as she had done to him, and the consequence would be the tranformation of the aban- doned woman into abitch. In short, they both set out, and in about three days arrived in the city of Siri, and proceeded straightway to the young man’s resi- dence. When arrived at the gate, the porters, seeing their beloved master, ran tomeet him, and prostrated themselves at his feet, saying: “ Our dear lord, we rejoice in your safe return: where have you been?” ‘The young man com- manded silence, and arming himself with a sword from one of his domestics, he entered the mansion, When he approached the andarin, the female slaves ran from all directions to welcome him. He made a sign to them to maintain silence, and in a whisper asked one of them, “where is the black Abyssinian >” —“ He sleeps,” she replied, “in the arms of your wife.” Foaming with rage, he entered the apartment of his wife, whom he found fast in the sleep of profligacy. He seized the enchanted nail, and thrust it into her head,’ and the next moment, with a stroke of his scymitar, he severed the head of the Abyssinian from his foul carcase. His revenge was complete, for his wife was transformed into a bitch, and the soul of her paramour hurled into hell. He then returned to Hatim, and cordially taking him by the hand, conducted him into his hospitable mansion, andseated him on a throne. He tied a string round the neck of his wife, thus transformed, and led her before Hatim, saying: « Behold my abandoned spouse; and there (pointing to the Abyssinian) is the whoreson black, who shared in her guilt.”