Then said I to myself'Now is my opportunity，'and taking a knife I had with methat would cut bones before fleshwent down to them and found them motionlessnot a muscle of them moving for their much swink. So I put my knife to the bear's gullet and bore upon ittill I severed his head from his body，and he gave a great snort like thunderwhereat she started up in alarm and seeing the bear slain and me standing with the knife in my handgave such a shriek that I thought the soul had left her body. Then said she'O Werdanis this how thou requitest me my favours？'O enemy of thine own soul，'replied I'dost thou lack of men that thou must do this shameful thing？'She made me no answerbut bent down to the bearand finding his head divided from his bodysaid to me'O Werdan，which were the liefer to theeto hearken to what I shall say to thee and be the means of thine own safety and enrichment to the end of thy daysor gainsay me and so bring about thine own destruction？'I choose rather to hearken unto thee，'answered I. 'Say what thou wilt.'Then，'said she'kill meas thou hast killed this bearand take thy need of this treasure and go thy way.'Quoth I'I am better than this bear. Return to God the Most High and repentand I will marry theeand we will live on this treasure the rest of our lives.'O Werdan，'rejoined she'far be it from me！ How shall I live after him？
An thou kill me notby AllahI will assuredly do away thy life！ So leave bandying words with meor thou art a lost man.
This is all I have to say to thee and peace be on thee.'Then said I'I will slay theeand thou shalt go to the malediction of God.'So sayingI caught her by the hair and cut her throat；and she went to the malediction of God and of the angels and of all mankind.
Then I examined the place and found there gold and pearls and jewelssuch as no king could bring together. So I filled the porter's crate with as much as I could carry and covered it with the clothes I had on me. Then I shouldered it and going up out of the underground placeset out homeward and fared on，till I came to the gate of Cairowhere I fell in with ten of the Khalif's body-guardfollowed by El Hakim himself，who said to me. 'HoWerdan！'At thy serviceO King，'replied I. 'Hast thou killed the woman and the bear？'asked he and I answered'Yes.'Quoth he'Set down the basket and fear naughtfor all the treasure thou hast with thee is thineand none shall dispute it with thee.'So I set down the basketand he uncovered it and looked at it；then said to me'Tell me their casethough I know itas if I had been present with you.'So I told him all that had passed and he said'Thou hast spoken the truthO Werdan. Come now with me to the treasure.'
So I returned with him to the cavernwhere he found the trap-door closed and said to me'O Werdanlift it；none but thou can open the treasurefor it is enchanted in thy name and favour.'By Allah，'answered I'I cannot open it；'but he said'Go up to ittrusting in the blessing of God.'So I called upon the name of God the Most High and going up to the trap-doorput my hand to it；whereupon it came upas it had been the lightest of things. Then said the Khalif'Go down and bring up what is there；for none but one of thy name and favour and quality hath gone down there since the place was madeand the slaying of the bear and the woman was appointed to be at thy hand. This was recorded with me and I was awaiting its fulfilment.'AccordinglyI went down and brought up all the treasurewhereupon the Khalif sent for beasts of burden and carried it awayafter giving me the porter's cratewith what was therein. So I carried it home and opened me a shop in the market. And [quoth he who tells the tale] this market is still extant and is known as Werdan's Market.
