When the day broke, it so
happened that this history was not altogether finished, and that
Scheherazade, in the nature of things could not finish it just then,
since it was high time for her to get up and be bowstrung- a thing
very little more pleasant than hanging, only a trifle more genteel.
The king's curiosity, however, prevailing, I am sorry to say, even
over his sound religious principles, induced him for this once to
postpone the fulfilment of his vow until next morning, for the purpose
and with the hope of hearing that night how it fared in the end with
the black cat (a black cat, I think it was) and the rat.
The night having arrived, however, the lady Scheherazade not only
put the finishing stroke to the black cat and the rat (the rat was
blue) but before she well knew what she was about, found herself
deep in the intricacies of a narration, having reference (if I am
not altogether mistaken) to a pink horse (with green wings) that went,
in a violent manner, by clockwork, and was wound up with an indigo
key. With this history the king was even more profoundly interested
than with the other- and, as the day broke before its conclusion
(notwithstanding all the queen's endeavors to get through with it in
time for the bowstringing), there was again no resource but to
postpone that ceremony as before, for twenty-four hours.
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