Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 2 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 2 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
knew the suspicion had reverted upon him, wherefore his colour yellowed
and his limbs smote together; and he paid of his own money, after the
measure of that he had lost, so we would quench that fire for him.[42]
Then we departed from him in peace, whilst I said within myself,
“Indeed, the woman falsed me not.” After that I tarried till three days
had passed, when I went to the Hammam and changing my clothes, betook
myself to her home, but found the door shut and covered with dust. So I
asked the neighbours of her and they answered, “This house hath been
empty of habitants these many days; but three days agone there came a
woman with an ass, and at supper-time last night she took her gear and
went away.” Hereat I turned back, bewildered in my wit, and for many a
day after I inquired of the dwellers in that street concerning her, but
could happen on no tidings of her. And indeed I wondered at the
eloquence of her tongue and the readiness of her talk; and this is the
most admirable of all I have seen and of whatso hath betided me. When
Al-Malik al-Zahir heard the tale of Mu’in al-Din, he marvelled thereat.
Then rose another constable and said, “O lord, hear what befel me in
bygone days.”
THE SECOND CONSTABLE’S HISTORY.
I was once an overseer in the household of the Emir Jamál al-Din
al-Atwash al-Mujhidi, who was made governor of the two provinces,
Sharkíyah and Gharbíyah,[43] and I was dear to his heart and he hid from
me naught of whatso he desired to do; and he was eke master of his
reason.[44] It came to pass one day of the days that it was reported to
him how the daughter of Such-an-one had a mint of monies and raiment and
ornaments and at that present she loved a Jewish man, whom every day she
invited to be private with her, and they passed the light hours eating
and drinking in company and he lay the night with her. The Wali feigned
not to believe a word of this story, but he summoned the watchmen of the
quarter one night and questioned them of this tittle-tattle. Quoth one
of them, “As for me, O my lord, I saw none save a Jew[45] enter the
street in question one night; but I have not made certain to whom he
went in;” and quoth the Chief, “Keep thine eye on him from this time
forward and note what place he entereth.” So the watchman went out and
kept his eye on the Judæan. One day as the Prefect sat in his house, the
watchman came in to him and said, “O my lord, in very sooth the Jew
goeth to the house of Such-an-one.” Whereupon Al-Atwash sprang to his
feet and went forth alone, taking with him none save myself.[46] As he
went along, he said to me, “Indeed, this girl is a fat piece of
meat.”[47] And we gave not over going till we came to the door of the
house and stood there until a hand-maid came out, as if to buy them
something wanted. We waited till she opened the door, whereupon, without
question or answer, we forced our way into the house and rushed in upon
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