The wife did as she was told , and wrapping herself in sackcloth went up to the Sultana 's own palace , and as she was known to have been one of Subida 's favourite attendants , she was taken without difficulty into the private apartments . ` What is the matter ? ' inquired the Sultana , at the sight of the dismal figure . ` My husband lies dead at home , and he has spent all our money , and sold everything , and I have nothing left to bury him with , ' sobbed the wife . Then Subida took up a purse containing two hundred gold pieces , and said : ` Your husband served us long and faithfully . You must see that he has a fine funeral . ' The wife took the money , and , kissing the feet of the Sultana , she joyfully hastened home . They spent some happy hours planning how they should spend it , and thinking how clever they had been . ` When the Sultan goes this evening to Subida 's palace , ' said Abu Nowas , ` she will be sure to tell him that Abu Nowas is dead . `` Not Abu Nowas , it is his wife , '' he will reply , and they will quarrel over it , and all the time we shall be sitting here enjoying ourselves . Oh , if they only knew , how angry they would be ! ' As Abu Nowas had foreseen , the Sultan went , in the evening after his business was over , to pay his usual visit to the Sultana . ` Poor Abu Nowas is dead ! ' said Subida when he entered the room . ` It is not Abu Nowas , but his wife who is dead , ' answered the Sultan . ` No ; really you are quite wrong . She came to tell me herself only a couple of hours ago , ' replied Subida , ` and as he had spent all their money , I gave her something to bury him with . ' ` You must be dreaming , ' exclaimed the Sultan . ` Soon after midday Abu Nowas came into the hall , his eyes streaming with tears , and when I asked him the reason he answered that his wife was dead , and they had sold everything they had , and he had nothing left , not so much as would buy her a shroud , far less for her burial . ' For a long time they talked , and neither would listen to the other , till the Sultan sent for the door-keeper and bade him go instantly to the house of Abu Nowas and see if it was the man or his wife who was dead .
But Abu Nowas happened to be sitting XXXXX his wife behind the latticed window , which looked on the street , and he saw the man coming , and sprang up at once .
As after at if in of over that till with