The Eight Hundred and Fortieth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Syrian went to his gossip saying, "Give me the ass;" and when the other heard this he showed his teeth606 and cried, "Allah disappoint the donkey and the owner of the donkey and whoso rideth the donkey," and flying into an exceeding fury at last said, "Go, O my lord, and take it from the stable, and may Allah never bring back nor thee nor the beast." So the Syrian went from him saying in himself, "Allah disappoint this fellow, why did he not give me the ass at first and then he had not had occasion to abuse and curse himself and to revile me also." But they say and say truly, "The Syrian winneth his wish, but gaineth only blame while the Egyptian winneth not his wish and gaineth thanks and praise!"