Then said Zumurrud to Bersoum'Out on theeO blue eyes！ What is thy name and why comest thou hither？'But the accursed fellow miscalled himselfhaving a white turbanand answered'O Kingmy name is Ali；I am a weaver and came hither to trade.'Bring me a table of sand and a pen of brass，'quoth Zumurrud，and they brought her what she sought. She levelled the sand and taking the pendrew a geomantic figurein the likeness of an ape；thenraising her headshe considered Bersoum straitly and said to him'O doghow darest thou lie to kings？ Art thou not a NazareneBersoum by nameand comest thou not hither in quest of somewhat？ Speak the truthorby the splendour of the DeityI will strike off thy head？'At thisBersoum was confounded and the Amirs and bystanders said'Verilythe King understands geomancy： blessed be He who hath gifted him！'Then Zumurrud cried out upon Bersoum and said'Tell me the truthor I will make an end of thee！'PardonO King of the age，'replied Bersoum；'the table hath told thee aright；thy slave is indeed a Nazarene.'
Whereupon all present wondered at the King's skill in geomancy，saying'Verilythe King is a divinerwhose like there is not in the world.'
Then Zumurrud bade flay the Christian and stuff his skin with straw and hang it over the gate of the tilting-ground. Moreover，she commanded to dig a pit without the city and burn his flesh and bones therein and throw over his ashes offal and rubbish. 'We hear and obey，'answered they and did with him as she bade. When the people saw what had befallen the Christianthey said'He hath his deserts；but what an unlucky mouthful was that for him！'
And another said'Be my wife triply divorced if ever I eat of sweet rice as long as I live！'Praised be God，'quoth the hashish-eater'who saved me from this fellow's fate by hindering me from eating of the rice！'Then they all went outminded thenceforth to leave sitting in the Christian's placeover against the dish of sweet rice.
When the first day of the third month camethey laid the tables as of wontand Queen Zumurrud came down and sat on her throne，with her guards in attendance on herfearing her danger. Then the townsfolk enteredas usualand went round about the tables，looking for the place of the dish of sweet riceand quoth one to another'Hark yeHajji Khelef！'At thy serviceO Hajji Khalid，'answered the other. 'Avoid the dish of sweet rice，'said Khalid'and look thou eat not thereof；for if thou dothou wilt be hanged.'Then they sat down to meat；and as they were eating，Zumurrud chanced to look at the gate of the tilting-ground and saw a man come running in. So she considered him and knew him for Jewan the Kurd.
Now the manner of his coming was on this wise. When he left his motherhe went to his comrades and said to them'I had fine purchase yesterday；for I slew a trooper and took his horse.
Moreover there fell to me last night a pair of saddle-bagsfull of goldand a girl worth more than the money；and I have left them all with my mother in the cave.'At this they rejoiced and repaired to the cavern at nightfallwhilst they forewent them，that he might fetch them the booty. But he found the place empty and questioned his motherwho told him what had befallen；
whereupon he bit his hands for despite and exclaimed'By Allah，I will make search for yonder harlot and take herwherever she isthough it be in the shell of a pistachio-nutand quench my malice on her！'So he went forth in quest of her and journeyed from place to placetill he came to Queen Zumurrud's city. He found the town deserted and enquiring of some women whom he saw looking from the windowslearnt that it was the Sultan's custom to make a banquet for all the people on the first of each month and was directed to the tilting-groundwhere the feast was spread.
So he came running in and finding no place emptysave that before the dish of sweet ricetook his seat there and put out his hand to the dish；whereupon the folk cried out to him，saying'O brotherwhat wilt thou do？'Quoth he'I mean to eat my fill of this dish.'If thou eat of it，'rejoined one of the people'thou wilt assuredly be hanged.'But Jewan said'Hold thy peace and talk not thus.'Then he stretched out his hand to the dish aforesaid and drew it to him.
Now the hashish-eaterof whom we have before spokenwas sitting by him；but when he saw him do thisthe fumes of the hashish left his head and he fled from his place and sat down afar off，saying'I will have nothing to do with yonder dish.'Then Jewan put out his handas it were a crow's footand dipping it in the dishscooped up therewith half the dishful and drew it outas it were a camel's hoofand the bottom of the dish appeared. He rolled the rice in his handtill it was like a great orangeand threw it ravenously into his mouth；and it rolled down his gulletwith a noise like thunder. 'Praised by God，'quoth his neighbour'who hath not made me meat before thee；for thou hast emptied the dish at one mouthful.'Let him eat，'said the hashish-eater；'methinks he hath a gallows-face.'Thenturning to Jewan'Eat，'added he'and small good may it do thee！'
Jewan put out his hand again and taking another mouthfulwas rolling it in his hands like the firstwhen Zumurrud cried out to the guardssaying'Bring me yonder man in haste and let him not eat the mouthful in his hand.'So they ran and seizing him，as he bent over the dishbrought him to herwhilst the people exulted over him and saidone to the other'He hath his desertsfor we warned himbut he would not take warning.
Verilythis place is fated to be the death of whoso sits thereinand yonder rice is fatal to all who eat of it.'
