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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

monies and set out on their travels together. Thus they threw me

off. My brothers in law were absent with their wives five years,

during which period they spent all the money they had and,

becoming bankrupt, deserted my sisters in foreign parts amid

stranger folk.