I went up into the pavilion and smelt the odour of the viands and my spirit lusted after them；but I possessed my soul in patience for a while，till at last I could no longer withstand temptation.So I arose from my seat and went up to the table and，raising its cover，found a dish of fowls，surrounded by four saucers containing four several meats.I ate a mouthful of each kind and as much as I would of the sweetmeats and a piece of meat：then I drank from the saucer a sauce yellowed with saffron[505] and as it pleased me，I supped it up by the spoonful till I was satisfied and my stomach was full.
Upon this，my eyelids drooped；so I took a cushion and set it under my head，saying，'Haply I can recline upon it without going to sleep.'Then I closed my eyes and slept，nor did I wake till the sun had risen，when I found on my stomach a cube of bone，[506] a single tip-cat stick，[507] the stone of a green date[508] and a carob pod.There was no furniture nor aught else in the place，and it was as if there had been nothing there yesterday.So I rose and shaking all these things off me，fared forth in fury；and，going home，found my cousin groaning and versifying with these couplets，'A wasted body，heart enpierced to core，And tears that down my poor cheeks pour and pour：
And lover cure of access；but，but still Naught save what's fair can come from fairest flow'r：
O cousin mine thou fill'st my soul with pate，And from these tears mine eyelids ache full sore！'
I chid the daughter of my uncle and abused her，whereat she wept；then，wiping away her tears，she came up to me and kissed me and began pressing me to her bosom，whilst I held back from her blaming myself.Then said she to me，'O my cousin，it seemeth thou sleptest again this night？'Replied I，'Yes；and when I awoke，I found on my stomach a cube of bone，a single tip-cat stick，a stone of a green date and a carob pod，and I know not why she did this.'Then I wept and went up to her and said，'Expound to me her meaning in so doing and tell me how shall I act and aid me in my sore strait.'She answered，'On my head and eyes！By the single tip cat stick and the cube of bone which she placed upon thy stomach she saith to thee 'Thy body is present but thy heart is absent'；and she meaneth，'Love is not thus：so do not reckon thyself among lovers.'As for the date stone，it is as if she said to thee，'An thou wert in love thy heart would be burning with passion and thou wouldst not taste the delight of sleep；for the sweet of love is like a green date[509] which kindleth a coal of fire in the vitals.'As for the carob pod[510] it signifieth to thee，'The lover's heart is wearied'；and thereby she saith，'Be patient under our separation with the patience of Job.''When I heard this interpretation，fires darted into my vitals like a dart and grief redoubled upon my heart and I cried out，saying，'Allah decreed sleep to me for my ill fortune.'Then I said to her，'O my cousin，by my life，devise me some device whereby I may win my will of her！'She wept and answered，'O Aziz，O son of my uncle，verily my heart is full of sad thought which I cannot speak：but go thou again to night to the same place and beware thou sleep not，and thou shalt surely attain thy desire.This is my counsel and peace be with thee！'Quoth I，'If Allah please I will not sleep，but will do as thou biddest me.'Then my cousin rose，and brought me food，saying，'Eat now what may suffice thee，that nothing may divert thy heart.'So I ate my fill and，when night came，my cousin rose and bringing me a sumptuous suit of clothes clad me therein.
Then she made me swear I would repeat to my lover the verse aforesaid and bade me beware of sleeping.So I left her and repaired to the garden and went up into that same pavilion where I occupied myself in holding my eyelids open with my fingers and nodding my head as the night darkened on me.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Eighteenth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the young merchant continued to Taj al Muluk：'So I repaired to the garden and went up into that same pavilion and occupied myself in gazing upon the flower beds and in holding my eyelids open with my fingers and nodding my head as the night darkened on me.And presently I grew hungry with watching and the smell of the meats being wafted towards me，my appetite increased：so I went up to the table and took off the cover and ate a mouthful of every dish and a bit of meat；after which I turned to the flagon of wine，saying to myself，I will drink one cup.I drank it，and then I drank a second and a third，till I had drunk full ten，when the cool air smote me and I fell to the earth like a felled man.I ceased not to lie thus till day arose，when I awoke and found myself out side the garden，and on my stomach were a butcher's knife and a dram-weight of iron.[511]Thereat I trembled and，taking them with me，went home，where I found my cousin saying，'Verily，I am in this house wretched and sorrowful，having no helper but weeping.'Now when I entered，I fell down at full length and throwing the knife and the dram weight from my hand，I fainted clean away.As soon as I came to myself，I told her what had befallen me and said，Indeed，I shall never enjoy my desire.'
But when she saw my tears and my passion，they redoubled her distress on my account，and she cried，'Verily，I am helpless！
I warned thee against sleeping；but thou wouldst not hearken to my warning，nor did my words profit thee aught.'I rejoined，'By Allah，I conjure thee to explain to me the meaning of the knife and the iron dram-weight.''By the dram weight，'replied my cousin，'she alludeth to her right eye，[512] and she sweareth by it and saith，'By the Lord of all creatures and by my right eye！if thou come here again and sleep，I will cut thy throat with this very knife.'And indeed I fear for thee，O my cousin，from her malice；my heart is full of anguish for thee and I cannot speak.Nevertheless，if thou can be sure of thyself not to sleep when thou returnest to her，return to her and beware of sleeping and thou shalt attain thy desire；but if when returning to her thou wilt sleep，as is thy wont，she will surely slaughter thee.
