Then she rose to him and bussed his head and hands，saying，'Right is thy foresight，and I and thou will cast about for some means to kill him forthright.'When he heard this，he was glad and said，'Make haste and contrive some deceit to relieve me of my grieving： for in my sooth the door of device is straitened upon me！'Replied she，'At once I will devise for thee to do away his life.''How so？'asked he； and she answered，'By means of our female slave the socalled Bakun.'Now this Bakun was past mistress in all kinds of knavery and was one of the most pestilent of old women，in whose religion to abstain from wickedness was not lawful； she had brought up Kuzia Fakan and Kanmakan who had her in so great affection that he used to sleep at her feet.So when King Sasan heard his wife name her，he said，'Right is this recking'； and，sending for the old woman，told her what had passed and bade her cast about to kill Kanmaken，promising her all good.Replied she，'Thy bidding shall be obeyed； but I would have thee，O my lord，give me a dagger[106] which hath been tempered in water of death，that I
may despatch him the speedilier for thee.'Quoth Sasan，'And welcome to thee！'； and gave her a hanger that would devance man's destiny.Now this slave women had heard stories and verses and had learned by rote great store of strange sayings and anecdotes：
so she took the dagger and went out of the room，considering how she could compass his doom.Then she repaired to Kanmakan，who was sitting and awaiting news of tryst with the daughter of his uncle，Kuzia Fakan； so that night his thought was taken up with her and the fires of love for her raged in his heart.And while he was thus，behold，the slave woman，Bakun，went in to him and said，'Union time is at hand and the days of disunion are over and gone.'Now when he heard this he asked，'How is it with Kuzia Fakan？'； and Bakun answered，'Know that her time is wholly taken up with love of thee.'At this he rose and doffing his outer 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 tell thee what talk I have heard and console thee with stories of many passion distraughts whom love hath made sick.''Nay，'quoth he，'rather tell me a tale that will gladden my heart and gar my cares depart.''With joy and good will，'answered she； then she took seat by his side （and that poniard under her dress） and began to say： 'Know thou that the pleasantest thing my ears ever heard was The Tale of the Hashish Eater.
A certain man loved fair women，and spent his substance on them，till he became so poor that nothing remained to him； the world was straitened upon him and he used to go about the market streets begging his daily bread.Once upon a time as he went along，behold，a bit of iron nail pierced his finger and drew blood； so he sat down and wiping away the blood，bound up his finger.Then he arose crying out，and fared forwards till he came to a Hammam and entering took off his clothes，and when he looked about him he found it clean and empty.So he sat him down by the fountainbasin，and ceased not pouring water on his head，till he was tired.And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Fortythird Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the man sat down by the fountain basin and ceased not pouring water on his head till he was tired.Then he went out to the room in which was the cistern of cold water； and seeing no one there，he found a quiet corner and taking out a piece of Hashish，[107]
swallowed it.Presently the fumes mounted to his brain and he rolled over on to the marble floor.Then the Hashish made him fancy that a great lord was shampooing him and that two slaves stood at his head，one bearing a bowl and the other washing gear and all the requisites of the Hammam.When he saw this，he said in himself，'Meseemeth these here be mistaken in me； or else they are of the company of us Hashisheaters.'[108] Then he stretched out his legs and he imagined that the bathman said to him，'O my master，the time of thy going up to the Palace draweth near and it is today thy turn of service.'At this he laughed and said to himself，'As Allah willeth，[109] O Hashish！'Then he sat and said nothing，whilst the bathman arose and took him by the hand and girt his middle with a waistcloth of black silk，after which the two slaves followed him with the bowls and gear，and they ceased not escorting him till they brought him into a cabinet，wherein they set incense and perfumes aburning.He found the place full of various kinds of fruits and sweetscented flowers，and they sliced him a watermelon 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，Sir Wazir，health to thee forever！'Then they went out and shut the door on him； and in the vanity of phantasy he arose and removed the waistcloth from his middle，and laughed till he well nigh fainted.He gave not over laughing for some time and at last quoth he to himself，'What aileth them to address me as if I were a Minister and style me Master，and Sir？Haply they are now blundering； but after an hour they will know me and say，This fellow is a beggar； and take their fill of cuffing me on the neck.'Presently，feeling hot he opened the door，whereupon it seemed to him that a little white slave and an eunuch came in to him carrying a parcel.Then the slave opened it 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，[110] and he put them on； after which in came white slaves and eunuchs and sup ported him （and he laughing the while）
