Quoth she， "I did but jest with thee." And rose and kissed his head and hands， saying， "Thou art right， and we will cast about for some means to kill him." When he heard this， he was glad and said， "Make haste and contrive some device to relieve me of my affliction； for I am at my wit"s end." Said she， "I will make shift to do away his life for thee." "How so？" asked he； and she answered， "By means of our female slave Bakoun." Now this Bakoun was past mistress in all kinds of knavery and was one of the most pernicious of old women， in whose religion it was not lawful to abstain from wickedness； she had brought up Kanmakan and Kuzia Fekan， and the former had her in so great affection， that he was wont to sleep at her feet. So when King Sasan heard his wife name her， he said， "This is a good counsel，" and sending for the old woman， told her what had passed and bade go about to kill Kanmakan， promising her all good. "O my lord，" replied she， "thy commandment shall be done： but I would have thee give me a dagger that has been tempered in water of dearth，[FN#158] that I may despatch him the quicklier for thee." "So be it，" said Sasan and gave her a knife that would well-nigh forego destiny. Now this woman had heard stories and verses and committed to memory great store of witty traits and anecdotes： so she took the dagger and went out， considering how she should compass Kanmakan"s destruction. Then she repaired to the prince， whom she found sitting awaiting [the coming of a messenger with] his cousin"s tryst； so that night his thought was taken up with Kuzia Fekan and the fires of love for her raged in his heart. Bakoun went in to him， saying， "The time of union is at hand and the days of separation are over and gone." When he heard this， he said， "How is it with Kuzia Fekan？" And she answered， "Know that she is distraught for love of thee." At this he rose and taking off his [upper] clothes， put them on her and promised her all good. Then said she， "Know that I mean to pass this night with thee， that I may repeat to thee what talk I have heard and divert thee with tales of many a slave of love， whom passion hath made sick."
Quoth he， "Tell me a story， that will gladden my heart and dispel my cares." "With all my heart，" answered she and sitting down beside him， with the dagger under her clothes， began thus， "The pleasantest thing I ever heard was as follows：
Bakoun"s Story of the Hashish-eater.
A certain man loved the fair and spent his substance on them，till he became a beggar and used to go about the streets and markets， seeking his bread. One day， as he went along， a splinter of iron pierced his finger and made it bleed； so he sat down and wiping away the blood， bound up his finger. Then he went on，crying out， till he came to a bath， and entering found it clean （and empty）. So he took off his clothes and sitting down by the basin， fell to pouring water on his head， till he was tired， when he went out to the room in which was the tank of cold water.
Finding none there， he shut himself up [in a cabinet] and taking out a piece of hashish， swallowed it. The fumes of the drug spread through his brain and he rolled over on to the marble floor. Then the hashish made it appear to him as if a great lord were kneading him and as if two slaves stood at his head， one bearing a bowl and the other washing gear and all the requisites of the bath. When he saw this， he said to himself， "Meseems these are mistaken in me； or else they are of the company of us hashish-eaters." Then he stretched out his legs and it seemed to him that the bathman said to him， "O my lord， the time of thy going forth draws near and it is to-day thy turn of service （at the palace）." At this he laughed and said， "As God wills， O hashish！" Then he sat and said nothing， whilst the bathman took him by the hand and raising him up， girt his middle with a waist-cloth of black silk， after which the two slaves followed him， with the bowls and implements， till they brought him into a cabinet， wherein they set perfumes burning. He found the place full of various kinds of fruits and sweet-scented flowers， and they cut him a melon and seated him on a stool of ebony， whilst the bathman stood to wash him and the slaves poured water on him；
after which they rubbed him down well and said， "O our lord the Vizier， may the bath profit thee and mayst thou come to delight everlasting！" Then they went out and shut the door on him； and he took up the waist-cloth and laughed till he well-nigh lost his senses. He gave not over laughing for some time and saying to himself， "What ails them to bespeak me as if I were a Vizier and style me "Master" and "our lord"？ Surely they are dreaming now；
but presently they will know me and say， "This fellow is a beggar，" and take their fill of cuffing me on the nape of the neck." Presently， he felt hot and opened the door， whereupon it seemed to him that a little white slave and an eunuch entered，carrying a parcel. The slave opened the parcel and brought out three kerchiefs of silk， one of which he threw over his head， a second over his shoulders， and a third he tied round his waist.
Moreover， the eunuch gave him a pair of bath-clogs， and he put them on； after which in came eunuchs and slaves and supported him， laughing the while， to the outer hall， which he found hung and spread with magnificent furniture， such as beseems none but kings； and the pages hastened up to him and seated him on the divan. Then they fell to kneading him， till sleep overcame him and he dreamt that he had a girl in his arms. So he kissed her and set her between his thighs； then， clipping her as a man clips a woman， took his yard in his hand and was about to have at her，when he heard one saying to him， "Awake， thou good-for-nought！
