Commander of the Faithful, my story is truly wonderful.
The two black dogs and myself are sisters by the same father and mother. The two ladies who are now here are also my sisters, but by another mother. After our father’s death, the property that he left was equally divided among us. My two half sisters left me, that they might live with their mother. My two sisters and myself remained with our own mother. At her death she left us three thousand sequins each. Shortly after my sisters had received their portions, they married; but their husbands, having spent all their fortunes, found some pretext for divorcing them, and put them away. I received them into my house, and gave them a share of all my goods. At the end of a twelvemonth, my sisters again resolved to marry, and did so. After some months were passed, they returned again in the same sad condition; I admitted them to live with me as before, and we dwelt together for the space of a year. After this I determined to engage in a commercial speculation. For this purpose I went with my two sisters to Bussorah, where I bought a ship ready fitted
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