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The old woman caught me in her arms and, when I came to myself, I

found the shop shut up and her sorrowing over me and saying,

"Thank Allah for averting which might have been worse!" Then she

said to me, "Come, take heart and let us go home before the

matter become public and thou be dishonoured. And when thou art

safe inside the house feign sickness and lie down and cover

thyself up; and I will bring thee powders and plasters to cure

this bite withal, and thy wound will be healed at the latest in

three days." So after a while I arose and I was in extreme

distress and terror came full upon me; but I went on little by

little till I reached the house when I pleaded illness and lay me

down.