THE SULTANA AND THE WOOD-CUTTER. 256 mine tree, and one of its thorns scratched my left arm.'

' What ! ' cried the Caliph, in amazement ; ' the scratch of a blunt jasmine-thorn has made you ill ! ' ' You wonder at it, no doubt, 0 Commander of the Faithful!' said the Vizier; ' because, only a few months ago, you saw that I was insensible to the fangs of a serpent, which had fastened upon my heel.' 'There is no G-od but Grod!' exclaimed Haroun Al-Raschid, as by these words he recognized the poor wood-cutter, who had passed under the window of his palace — ' hast thou indeed found the ring of Solomon ? — and where is the woman whom Mesrour, at my command, brought to thee ? ' " ' She is here !' said Zubeydeh, entering the door. She turned towards the Caliph, and slightly lifting her veil, showed him her face, more beautiful than ever. Haroun, with a cry of joy, was on the point of clasping her in his arms, when he stopped suddenly, and said : ' But thou art now the wife of that man.' ' Not so, great Caliph ! ' exclaimed the Yizier who rose to his feet, now that there was no longer any need to affect illness ; ' from the day that she entered my house, I have never seen her face. By the beard of the Prophet, she is not less pure than she is wise. It is she who has made me all that I am. Obedience to her was the seed from which the tree of my fortune has grown.' Zubeydeh then knelt at the Caliph's feet, and said : ' 0 Commander of the Faithful, restore me to the light of your favor. I swear to you that I am not less your wife than when the cloud of your anger overshadowed me. This honorable man has never ceased to respect me. My thoughtless words led you to send me forth to take the place of the serpent, but I have now shown you that a wife may also be to her husband as the staff, whereon he