Come and help me tear down these cupboards and break up these vessels and porcelain！'So I went to her and helped her break up all the shelves in the house，with everything on them，after which I went round about the roofs and every part of the house，demolishing all I could and leaving not a single piece of china or the like in the house unbroken，till I had laid waste the whole placecrying out the while'Alasmy master！'Then my mistress sallied forthwith her face uncovered and only her kerchief on，accompanied by her sons and daughters，and said to me，'Go thou before us and show us the place where thy master lies dead under the wallthat we may take him out from the ruins and lay him on a bier and carry him to the house and give him a goodly funeral.'So I went on before themcrying out'Alasmy master！'and they after mebareheadedcrying out'Alas！Alas for the man！'And there was not a man nor a woman nor a boy nor an old woman in the quarter but followed us，buffeting their faces and weeping sore. On this wise，I traversed the city with them，and the folk asked what was the matter，whereupon they told them what they had heard from me，and they exclaimed，'There is no power and no virtue but in God！'Then said one of them，'He was a man of consideration；so let us go to the chief of the police and tell him what has happened.'So they repaired to the magistrate and told him，whereupon he mounted and taking with him workmen with spades and baskets，set out for the scene of the accident，following my trackwith all the people after him. I ran on before thembuffeting my face and throwing dust on my head and crying out，followed by my mistress and her children，shrieking aloud. But I outran them and reached the garden before them，and when my master saw me in this state and heard me crying out，'Alas，my mistress！Alas！Alas！Who is left to take pity on me，now that my mistress is dead？ Would God I had died instead of her！'he was confounded and his colour paled. Then said he to me，'What ails thee，O Kafour？ What is the matter？'O my lord，'replied I'When thou sentest me to the houseI found that the wall of the saloon had given way and the whole of it had fallen in upon my mistress and her children.'And did not thy mistress escape？'No，by Allah，O my master！'answered I. 'Not one of them was saved，and the first to die was my mistressthine elder daughter.'Did not my younger daughter escape？'asked he. 'No，'replied I；and he said，'What became of the mule I use to ride？
Was she saved？'No，by Allah，'answered I；'the walls of the house and of the stable fell in on all that were in the dwelling，even to the sheep and geese and fowls，so that they all became a heap of flesh and the dogs ate them： not one of them is saved.'
'Not even thy master，my elder son？'asked he. 'No，by Allah！'
repeated I. 'Not one of them was saved，and now there remains neither house nor inhabitants nor any trace of them： and as for the sheep and geese and fowls，the dogs and cats have eaten them.'When my master heard thisthe light in his eyes became darkness and he lost command of his senses and his reason，so that he could not stand upon his feet，for he was as one taken with the rickets and his back was broken. Then he rent his clothes and plucked out his beard and casting his turban from his head，buffeted his face，till the blood streamed down，crying out，'Alas，my children！Alas，my wife！Alas，what a misfortune！
To whom did there ever happen the like of what hath befallen me？'
The other merchants，his companions，joined in his tears and lamentations and rent their clothes，being moved to pity of his case；and my master went out of the garden'buffeting his face and staggering like a drunken man，for stress of what had befallen him and the much beating he had given his face. As he came forth of the garden-gate，followed by the other merchants，beholdthey saw a great cloud of dust and heard a great noise of crying and lamentation. They looked，and behold，it was the chief of the police with his officers and the townspeople who had come out to look on，and my master's family in front of them，weeping sore and shrieking and lamenting. The first to accost my master were his wife and children；and when he saw them，he was confounded and laughed and said to them，'How is it with you all and what befell you in the house？'When they saw him，they exclaimed，'Praised be God for thy safety！'and threw themselves upon him，and his children clung to him，crying，'Alas，our father！Praised be God for thy preservation，O our father！'Then said his wife，'Thou art well，praised be God who hath shown us thy face in safety！'And indeed she was confounded and her reason fled，when she saw him，and she said，'O my lordhow did you escape，thou and thy friends the merchants？'And how fared it with thee in the house？'asked he. 'We were all in good health and case，'answered they；'nor has aught befallen us in the house，save that thy slave Kafour came to us，bareheaded，with his clothes torn and crying out'Alasmy master！Alasmy master！'So we asked what was the matterand he said'The wall of the garden has fallen on my master and his friendsand they are all dead.''By Allah，'said my master，'he came to me but now，crying out，'Alasmy mistress！Alasher children！'and said'My mistress and her children are all dead.''Then he looked round and seeing me with my torn turban hanging down my neckshrieking and weeping violently and strewing earth on my headcried out at me. So I came to him and he said，'Woe to thee，O pestilent slave，O whore-son knaveO accurst of race！
