Wazir's Son and the Hammam-Keepeer's Wife."[FN#186]

There was once a bath-keeper, to whom resorted the notables of the folk and head men, and one day there came in to him a handsome youth of the sons of Wazirs who was fat and bulky of body. So he stood to serve him and when the young man put off his clothes[FN#187] he saw not his yard, for that it was hidden between his thighs, by reason of the excess of his fat, and there appeared thereof but what was like unto a filbert.[FN#188] At this the bath-keeper fell a-lamenting and smiting hand upon hand, which when the youth saw, he said to him, "What ails thee, O bath-keeper, to lament thus?" And he answered, saying, "O my lord, my lamentation is for thee, because thou art in sore straits, for all thy fair fortune and goodliness and exceeding comeliness, seeing thou hast naught wherewithal to do and receive delight, like unto other men." Quoth the youth, "Thou sayst sooth, but thou mindest me of somewhat I had forgotten." "What is that?" asked the bathkeeper, and the youth answered, "Take this gold piece and fetch me a pretty woman, that I may prove my nature on her." So he took the money and betaking himself to his wife, said to her, "O woman, there is come to me in the bath a young man of the sons of the Wazirs, as he were the moon on the fullest night; but he hath no prickle like other men, for that which he hath is but some small matter like unto a filbert. I lamented over his youth and he gave me this dinar and asked me to fetch him a woman on whom he might approve himself. Now thou art worthier of the money than another, and from this no harm shall betide us, for I will protect thee. So do thou sit with him awhile and laugh at him and take this dinar from him." So the good wife took the dinar and rising, adorned herself and donned the richest of her raiment. Now she was the fairest woman of her time. Then she went out with her husband and he carried her in to the Wazir's son in a privy place. When she came in to him, she looked at him and finding him a handsome youth, fair of favour as he were the moon at full, was confounded at his beauty and loveliness; and on like wise his heart and wit were amazed at the first sight of her and the sweetness of her smile. So he rose forthright and locking the door, took the damsel in his arms and pressed her to his bosom and they embraced, whereupon the young man's yard swelled and rose on end, as it were that of a jackass, and he rode upon her breast and futtered her, whilst she sobbed and sighed and writhed and wriggled under him. Now the bathkeeper was standing behind the door, awaiting what should betide between them, and he began to call her saying, "O Umm Abdillah, enough! Come out, for the day is long upon thy sucking child." Quoth the youth, "Go forth to thy boy and come back;" but quoth she, "If I go forth from thee, my soul will depart my body; as regards the child, so I must either leave him to die of weeping or let him be reared an orphan, without a mother." So she ceased not to abide with him till he had done his desire of her ten times running, while her husband stood at the door, calling her and crying out and weeping and imploring succour. But none came to aid him and he ceased not to do thus, saying, "I will slay myself!"; till at last, finding no way of access to his wife, and being distraught with rage and jealousy, to hear her sighing and murmuring and breathing hard under the young man, he went up to the top of the bath and, casting himself down therefrom, died. "Moreover, O King" (continued the Wazir), "there hath reached me another story of the malice of women." "What is that?" asked the King, and the Wazir said, "Know, O King, that it is anent

Footnotes:

[FN#186] This is the "King's Son and the Merchant's Wife" of the
Hitopadesa (chapt. i.) transferred to all the Prakrit versions of
India. It is the Story of the Bath-keeper who conducted his Wife
to the Son of the King of Kanuj in the Book of Sindibad.

[FN#187] The pious Caliph Al-Muktadi bi Amri ‘llah (A.H. 467=A.D. 1075) was obliged to forbid men entering the baths of Baghdad without drawers.

[FN#188] This peculiarity is not uncommon amongst the so-called Aryan and Semitic races, while to the African it is all but unknown. Women highly prize a conformation which (as the prostitute described it) is always "either in his belly or in mine."