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Full many a sorry chance doth light upon a man and fill His life with trouble, yet with God the issue bideth still.
His case is sore on him, but when its meshes straitened are To utt’rest, they relax, although he deem they never will.
So they abode there in peace and gladness, till one day fate led thither a hungry hawk, which drove its talons into the bird’s belly and killed him, nor did caution stand him in stead seeing that his hour was come. Now the cause of his death was that he neglected to praise God, and it is said that his form of adoration was as follows, ‘Glory be to our Lord in that He ordereth and ordaineth, and glory be to our Lord in that He maketh rich and maketh poor!’”
“O Shehrzad,” said the Sultan, “verily, thou overwhelmest me with admonitions and salutary instances! Hast thou any stories of beasts?” “Yes,” answered she. “Know, O King, that
THE WOLF AND THE FOX.
A fox and a wolf once dwelt in the same den, harbouring therein together day and night; but the wolf was cruel and oppressive to the fox. They abode thus awhile, till one day the fox exhorted the wolf to use gentle dealing and leave evil-doing, saying, ‘If thou persist in thine arrogance, belike God will give the son of Adam power over thee, for he is past master in guile and craft and knavery. By his devices he brings down the birds from the air and draws the fish forth of the waters and sunders mountains in twain and transports them from place to place. All this is of his craft and wiliness; wherefore do thou betake thyself to equity and fair dealing and leave evil and tyranny; and thou shalt fare the better for it.’ But the wolf rejected his counsel and answered him roughly, saying, ‘Thou hast no call to speak of matters
