Cover image for Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 10, The

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 10

Subtitle A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments
Author Sir Richard Francis Burton
Categories Fantasy, Fiction, Short Story Collection
Language English
Series No. 10 in the Arabian Nights series
Word count 167,603
Excerpt

b. The Breslau Text c. The Macnaghten Text and the Bulak Edition d. The same with Mr. Lane's and my Version Appendix II-- Contributions to the Bibliography of the Thousand and One Nights and their Imitations, By W. F. Kirby

The Book Of The THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT

MA'ARUF THE COBBLER AND HIS WIFE

There dwelt once upon a time in the God-guarded city of Cairo a cobbler who lived by patching old shoes.[FN#1] His name was Ma'aruf[FN#2] and he had a wife called Fatimah, whom the folk had nicknamed "The Dung;"[FN#3] for that she was a whorish, worthless wretch, scanty of shame and mickle of mischief. She ruled her spouse and abused him; and he feared her malice and dreaded her misdoings; for that he was a sensible man but poor-conditioned. When he earned much, he spent it on her, and when he gained little, she revenged herself on his body that night, leaving him no peace