Speak ye therefore before him the truth and the whole
truth!" When the ladies heard Ja'afar's words touching the Commander
of the Faithful, the eldest came forward and said, "O Prince of True
Believers, my story is one which were it graven with needle gravers
upon the eye corners, were a warner for whoso would be warned and an
example for whoso can take profit from example." And she began to tell
ELDEST
THE ELDEST LADY'S TALE
VERILY a strange tale is mine and 'tis this: Yon two black bitches
are my eldest sisters by one mother and father, and these two others
she who beareth upon her the signs of stripes and the third our
procuratrix, are my sisters by another mother. When my father died,
each took her share of the heritage and after a while my mother also
deceased, leaving me and my sisters german three thousand dinars, so
each daughter received her portion of a thousand dinars and I the
same, albe' the youngest. In due course of time my sisters married
with the usual festivities and lived with their husbands, who bought
merchandise with their wives' moneys and set out on their travels
together.
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