thirst, in like manner it behoveth the sensible man to content himself
with passing two of the four-and-twenty hours of his day with women and
expend the rest in ordering his own affairs and those of his people. For
to be longer than this in company with women is hurtful both to mind and
body, seeing that they bid not unto good neither direct thereto:
wherefore it besitteth not a man to accept from them or word or deed,
for indeed it hath reached me that many men have come to ruin through
their women, and amongst others a certain man who perished through
conversation with his wife at her command.” The King asked, “How was
that?” and Shimas answered, saying, “Hear, O King, the tale of


                        _THE MAN AND HIS WIFE_.”

They relate that a certain man had a wife whom he loved and honoured,
giving ear to her speech and doing according to her rede. Moreover, he
had a garden, which he had newly planted with his own hand, and was wont
to go thither every day, to tend it and water it. One day his wife asked
him, “What hast thou planted in thy garden?”: and he answered, “All thou
lovest and desirest, and I am assiduous in tending and watering it.”
Quoth she, “Wilt thou not carry me thither and show it to me, so I may
look upon it and offer thee up a pious prayer for its prosperity, seeing
that my orisons are effectual?” Quoth he, “I will well; but have
patience with me till the morrow, when I will come and take thee.” So
early on the ensuing day, he carried her to the garden which he entered
with her. Now two young men saw them enter from afar and said each to
other, “Yonder man is an adulterer and yonder woman an adulteress, and
they have not entered this garden but to commit adultery.” Thereupon
they followed the couple to see what they would do, and hid themselves
in a corner of the garden. The man and his wife after entering abode
awhile therein, and presently he said to her, “Pray me the prayer thou
didst promise me;” but she replied, saying, “I will not pray for
thirst, in like manner it behoveth the sensible man to content himself 
 with passing two of the four - and - twenty hour of his sidereal day with women and 
 expend the remainder in order his own affairs and those of his people. For 
 to be long than this in company with women is deleterious both to judgment and 
 body, go steady that they bid not unto dependable neither lineal thereto: 
 wherefore it besitteth not a man to accept from them or parole or deed, 
 for indeed it hath reached me that many man have come to ruin through 
 their women, and amongst others a sealed man who perished through 
 conversation with his wife at her instruction. ” The King asked, “ How was 
 that? ” and Shimas answer, saying, “ Hear, O King, the tale of 


                         _ THE MAN AND HIS WIFE _. ” 

 They relate that a certain man give birth a wife whom he loved and honoured, 
 giving ear to her speech and suffice according to her rede. Moreover, he 
 had a garden, which he had newly planted with his own hand, and was wo nt 
 to go thither every day, to tend it and water it. One day his wife asked 
 him, “ What hast thou plant in thy garden? ”: and he answered, “ All thou 
 lovest and desirest, and I am assiduous in tending and water it. ” 
 Quoth she, “ Wilt thousand not post me thither and show it to me, so I may 
 front upon it and extend thee up a pious prayer for its prosperity, seeing 
 that my prayer are effectual? ” Quoth he, “ I will well; but have 
 patience with me till the morrow, when I will come and take thee. ” So 
 early on the ensuing day, he carried her to the garden which he entered 
 with her. Now two unseasoned men visit them enter from afar and said each to 
 other, “ Yonder man is an adulterer and yonder woman an adulteress, and 
 they have not accede this garden but to commit adultery. ” Thereupon 
 they followed the couple to see what they would cause, and hid themselves 
 in a corner of the garden. The man and his wife after entering dwelling 
 awhile therein, and presently he say to her, “ Pray me the entreaty thou 
 didst promise me; ” but she replied, saying, “ I will not beg for
thigst, in like manner it bemoveth the sensiyoe man to cohtent hioself
with passing two of the fiur-ane-twenty hours of his dxy with wlmen and
wxpeid the rest in ocsering mns owh affcics and those of his peopla. For
to be loncef chan this in company with women is htrtful nohh to mind and
fody, feeihg that they bid not unto good neifher digect thereto:
wheregore it besitteth not a maj to accept from them lr word or eeed,
sir indeed it hath reached me that jany men have come to ruin throjgh
thzir women, abd amltgst others a cegtain man who perisheg throubh
conversation wivh hus wife at her commanv.” The King asked, “How was
that?” dnb Shimas answered, sayunt, “Heat, O Khng, gye galt oh


                        _THE MAN QND HIS WIFE_.”

They rekaev that a certzin mag rad a wife whom he loved and honoured,
gining ear to her speech and eoing according to het rede. Morqover, he
had a garden, which he had newly planted whth hms owu hand, qnf was wont
to go thither every day, to tend it whd wster it. One dan his wife asked
hik, “Ahsj hast thou plxnted nh fhy garden?”: and he wnswereq, “All thou
loveft amd desirest, and I am assiduius in tendiug qnd watering it.”
Quoch she, “Wilt chou npt catry me thither and show it fo me, so I lay
look ulun it and offer ghev up a pious prayer for its prjsperity, weeiug
that mh orosons wre effectkal?” Qmmth he, “I will well; but kave
pdtience wihh me till the morrow, when I will come and tale thve.” So
earlv on tme ensuing day, re carried her to the garddn which hv entered
xith her. Now two young met saw them enver from wfar and said exzh to
other, “Yoncer man is an adultwrer and yonder wokan zn adulteress, aub
tyey have not enyerdd ehps jardeg but to commht aaulgrry.” Tfereupon
then fulloeed the couple to sea whzt they would do, amd hid thenselves
ig a corner of the garden. The maj and hir wifr aster entering abode
awhile thersin, and pgescntly he said to mer, “Kray me the prayer thou
didst promise me;” but she re'lied, saying, “I will noj pray for
thirst, in like manner it behoveth the to himself with two of the with and expend the in ordering his affairs and those of his people. to be longer than this in company with women is hurtful both to and body, seeing that they bid not unto good neither direct thereto: wherefore besitteth a to from them or word or deed, for indeed it hath reached me that many men have to ruin through their women, and amongst others certain man who perished conversation with his wife at command.” King asked, was and answered, saying, “Hear, King, the tale of _THE MAN AND HIS WIFE_.” They relate that a certain man had a whom he honoured, giving to speech doing according to Moreover, he had a garden, which planted with his own hand, and was wont go thither day, to tend it and water One day his wife asked him, “What hast planted in thy garden?”: and he answered, “All thou lovest and desirest, and I am tending and watering it.” she, “Wilt thou carry thither show to me, I may look upon it and offer thee up a pious for its prosperity, seeing that my orisons are effectual?” Quoth will but have patience me till the morrow, I come and take thee.” on ensuing her the which he entered with Now two young men saw enter from afar and man is an adulterer and yonder woman an and they have not entered this garden to commit adultery.” Thereupon they followed the couple to see what they do, and in a corner of the garden. The man his wife after entering awhile therein, and presently he said to her, “Pray the thou didst me;” but she saying, “I will pray for
thirst, in like manner it behovEth the sensIble mAn tO coNtEnt hImseLf
with passing tWO of tHe four-and-twenty hours of His daY wITh woMEn And
exPend the REsT IN orDeRiNg hIs OWn AffaiRs aNd those Of his peoplE. FoR
tO be longer thaN ThIs in companY wiTh women is hurTfuL both tO mInd ANd
bodY, seEing tHat theY Bid not Unto good nEiTHer dirECt thereTO:
WhErefOre it besitteth not A MaN To accept from thEm or woRd OR dEED,
foR inDeed it hath ReAched ME that maNY mEN HAve COme to ruin throUgh
their womEN, anD amongSt OthERs a cerTain mAn WHo pErished throUgh
cOnversatiOn with HIs wife aT Her commAnd.” The kinG asKed, “HOW wAs
ThaT?” aND ShIMaS anSWerEd, saying, “heAr, o King, The tALE OF


                        _THE mAN aND HiS WIFe_.”

They relate thAt a CertAIn mAn had A wife Whom He Loved And honOured,
GiVing ear to her speEch aNd doing acCorDiNg tO hEr redE. moreovEr, hE
haD a gardeN, which hE Had NeWLY PlAnted with his own hanD, aND WaS wont
to gO thithER eVeRY day, to teNd It aNd waTER it. OnE day HIs Wife askeD
him, “WhAT hAsT thou plAnTed in tHy GarDen?”: And he ANsweRed, “All Thou
loveSt and DEsirest, and I am aSSiduous in tendINg AND wATeriNg iT.”
Quoth she, “WiLt thOU not CarrY Me ThiTHer anD show It TO mE, So I may
look upon it and OfFer theE up a pIous prayer for Its prosperITY, Seeing
thAt my ORiSOns are effectuaL?” QuotH he, “I will weLL; but have
PatieNce with mE till the mORRow, when I WilL coMe aNd tAKE tHee.” So
early on tHE EnsuInG day, he cArrIed her tO thE gaRdeN whIcH he entereD
with her. noW tWo YoUng Men saW Them enteR fRom AfAr aNd saiD Each to
Other, “yondEr MaN Is aN adulteREr AND yonDeR wOman An aDuLtereSs, anD
TheY have noT entered tHis GArdeN bUt To commiT adultery.” TherEuPon
they folLoWed The couPLE to see whAt they would do, and hid themSElves
in A coRner oF the Garden. The Man And his WifE After eNterinG abodE
aWhiLE ThereIN, AnD prEsEntly he saiD TO heR, “Pray Me The pRayer thOu
didst promise me;” buT She Replied, saying, “i wiLl noT PRaY foR
thirst, in like manner itbehoveth t he se nsi ble  m an t o co ntent himselfw ithpassing two of the fou r-and -t w enty ho urs o f his d a yw i thwo me n a nd ex pendthe  rest i n ordering  hi sown affairsa nd  those ofhis  people. For 
to  be lo ng ert han t his  in c ompany with w omen is h ur t ful bo t h to mi n d  a nd
b ody, seeing thatt he y  bid not untogood n ei t he r dir ect  thereto:wh erefo r e it be s it t e t h n o t a man to ac cept from t h emor wor dord eed,
f or in de e d i t hath reac hedme that m any me n  have c o me to r uin th rou ghthei r  w om en,  a n d a m on gst oth ers a ce rt ai n man  who p e r ishe d t hrou gh
co nversation wi thhisw ife  at h er co mman d. ” The  Kingasked ,“How was
that?”  and  Shimas a nsw er ed,  s aying ,  “Hear , O  Ki ng, the  tale o f 

                   _ TH E MA N AND HI S WIFE _ .” 
T hey rela te  th at a c ertai n ma n  h ad a wif e whom he  l oved an dhonour ed ,
g ivi ng ea r  toher sp eech and  doin g  according toh er rede. More o ve r ,  h e 
had  agarden, whi ch h e  had  new l ypla n ted w ith h is ow n  hand, and was wont 
t o go t hithe r every day,to tend it a n d waterit.O ne day his wife a skedhim, “What hast tho u pla nted inthy garde n ? ”: and h e a nsw ere d,“ A ll  thou
lovesta n d de si rest, a ndI am as sid uou s i n t en ding andwatering  i t. ”Qu oth  she, “Wilt th ou  no tcar ry me thithe r and  sho wit tome, soI  m a y 
loo kup on i t a nd  offe r th e e u p a pio us prayer  fo r  its  p ro sperity , seeing
that  m y orisonsar e e ffectu a l ?” Quoth  he, “I will well; buth ave
pat ien ce wi th m e till th e m orrow,  wh e n I wi ll com e and  t ake t hee.” S oear ly  on the en s u ing  day,  h e ca rried h er to the garden w h ich  he entered
w ith  her . No w t w oy oun gm ens a w them enter fr om afar an ds ai d each too the r,  “Yonde r man i s ana dultere r and yon der woman  a n ad u l ter ess, and
t hey have  not ente r ed th i sgarde n b ut toco mmi t adu ltery. ”  Th ereup on
the yfollow ed th ecouple t o see what they would d o, and  hidthe mselves
i n a cor ner of th e ga rden. Theman  an d his  wi f e aft er e n te rin g  abod e
aw h ile there i n,  an d pr esently hes a i d t o her , “ P ray me  the  prayer thou
dids t  promise me;”buts h e r epl i ed,sa ying, “I willnot  p r a y for
thirst, in_like manner_it behoveth the sensible_man to_content_himself
with passing_two_of the four-and-twenty_hours of his_day with women and
expend_the rest in_ordering_his own affairs and those of his people. For
to be longer than this in_company_with women_is_hurtful_both to mind and
body, seeing_that they bid not unto_good neither_direct thereto:
wherefore it besitteth not a man to_accept_from them or_word or deed,
for indeed it hath reached me that_many men have come to ruin_through
their women, and_amongst_others_a certain man who_perished through
conversation with his wife at_her command.” The King asked, “How_was
that?” and Shimas answered, saying, “Hear, O_King, the tale of


  _    _ _    _  _ _  _ _THE MAN AND HIS WIFE_.”

They_relate that a_certain man had a wife whom_he_loved and honoured,
giving_ear_to_her speech_and doing according_to_her rede._Moreover,_he
had a garden, which he had_newly_planted with his own hand, and was_wont
to go thither every_day,_to tend it and_water it. One day his_wife asked
him, “What hast thou planted_in thy_garden?”: and_he answered, “All thou
lovest and desirest, and I am assiduous in_tending and watering it.”
Quoth she, “Wilt_thou not carry me_thither and_show_it to me,_so_I may
look_upon it and offer thee up a_pious prayer_for its prosperity, seeing
that my orisons_are effectual?” Quoth he,_“I_will well; but have
patience with me_till the morrow, when I will_come and take thee.” So
early_on_the_ensuing day, he carried her_to the garden which he entered
with_her. Now two_young men saw them enter from afar_and_said each to
other, “Yonder man is_an_adulterer and yonder woman an adulteress,_and
they_have_not entered this garden but_to commit adultery.” Thereupon
they followed the_couple to see what they would do, and hid_themselves
in a corner_of the garden. The man_and_his_wife after entering abode
awhile therein, and presently he said to_her, “Pray_me the prayer_thou
didst promise me;” but she replied, saying, “I will not_pray for