Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 4 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 4 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
success, so he joyed with exceeding joy, and without stay or
delay bade slaughter beeves and prepare bridal feasts and spread
banquets whereto he invited the notables of his government: after
which he summoned the Kazi who tied the knot and he went in to
her that night. And of the abundance of his love he fared not
forth from her till seven days had sped; and he ceased not to
cohabit with her for a span of five years during which Allah
vouchsafed to him a man-child by her and two daughters. Such was
the case with the cadette Princess; but as regards the eldest
sister, when she entered the city in youth's attire she was
accosted by the Kunáfah-baker and was hired for a daily wage of a
Mídí of silver besides her meat and drink in his house. Now 'twas
the practice of that man every day to buy half a quartern of
flour and thereof make his vermicelli; but when the so-seeming
youth came to him he would buy and work up three quarterns; and
all the folk who bought Kunafah of him would flock to his shop
with the view of gazing upon the beauty and loveliness of the
Youth and said, "Exalted be He who created and perfected what He
wrought in the creation of this young man!" Now by the decree of
the Decreer the baker's shop faced the lattice-windows of the
Sultan's Palace and one day of the days the King's daughter
chanced to look out at the window and she saw the Youth standing
with sleeves tucked up from arms which shone like ingots[FN#184]
of silver. Hereat the Princess fell in love with the Youth,?And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased
saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How
sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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