Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2 — John Shaqi
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
the size of this dead man and I will give thee therefor yet another
ducat.” Baba Mustafa quickly made the cere cloth of fitting length and
breadth, and Morgiana paid him the promised Ashrafi; then once more
bandaging his eyes led him back to the place whence she had brought him.
After this she returned hurriedly home and with the help of Ali Baba
washed the body in warm water and donning the shroud lay the corpse upon
a clean place ready for burial. This done Morgiana went to the mosque
and gave notice to an Imám[48] that a funeral was awaiting the mourners
in a certain household, and prayed that he would come to read the
prayers for the dead; and the Imám went back with her. Then four
neighbours took up the bier[49] and bore it on their shoulders and fared
forth with the Imam and others who were wont to give assistance at such
obsequies. After the funeral prayers were ended four other men carried
off the coffin; and Morgiana walked before it bare of head, striking her
breast and weeping and wailing with exceeding loud lament, whilst Ali
Baba and the neighbours came behind. In such order they entered the
cemetery and buried him; then, leaving him to Munkar and Nakir[50]—the
Questioners of the Dead—all wended their ways. Presently the women of
the quarter, according to the custom of the city, gathered together in
the house of mourning and sat an hour with Kasim’s widow comforting and
condoling, presently leaving her somewhat resigned and cheered. Ali Baba
stayed forty days at home in ceremonial lamentation for the loss of his
brother; so none within the town save himself and his wife (Kasim’s
widow) and Morgiana knew aught about the secret. And when the forty days
of mourning were ended Ali Baba removed to his own quarters all the
property belonging to the deceased and openly married the widow; then he
appointed his nephew, his brother’s eldest son, who had lived a long
time with a wealthy merchant and was perfect of knowledge in all matters
of trade, such as selling and buying, to take charge of the defunct’s
shop and to carry on the business.——And as the morn began to dawn
Shahrazad held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Thirtieth Night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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