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
Then she unbound the kerchief and
bade me sew together first the corpse and then the shroud, which having
done she again blindfolded me and led me back to the stead whence she
had brought me and left me there. Thou seest then I am not able to tell
thee where thou shalt find the house.” Quoth the robber, “Albeit thou
knowest not the dwelling whereof thou speakest, still canst thou take me
to the place where thou wast blindfolded; then I will bind a kerchief
over thine eyes and lead thee as thou wast led: on this wise perchance
thou mayest hit upon the site. An thou wilt do this favour by me, see
here another golden ducat is thine.” Thereupon the bandit slipped a
second Ashrafi into the tailor’s palm, and Baba Mustafa thrust it with
the first into his pocket; then, leaving his shop as it was, he walked
to the place where Morgiana had tied the kerchief around his eyes, and
with him went the robber who, after binding on the bandage, led him by
the hand. Baba Mustafa, who was clever and keen-witted, presently
striking the street whereby he had fared with the handmaid, walked on
counting step by step; then, halting suddenly, he said, “Thus far I came
with her;” and the twain stopped in front of Kasim’s house wherein now
dwelt his brother Ali Baba.——And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad
held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Thirty-First Night.
Then said she:——I have heard, O auspicious King, that the robber then
made marks with white chalk upon the door to the end that he might
readily find it at some future time, and removing the bandage from the
tailor’s eyes said, “O Baba Mustafa, I thank thee for this favour: and
Almighty Allah guerdon thee for thy goodness. Tell me now, I pray thee,
who dwelleth in yonder house?” Quoth he, “In very sooth I wot not, for I
have little knowledge concerning this quarter of the city;” and the
bandit, understanding that he could find no further clue from the
tailor, dismissed him to his shop with abundant thanks, and hastened
back to the tryst-place in the jungle where the band awaited his coming.
Not long after it so fortuned that Morgiana, going out upon some errand,
marvelled exceedingly at seeing the chalk-marks showing white in the
door; she stood awhile deep in thought and presently divined that some
enemy had made the signs that he might recognize the house and play some
sleight upon her lord. She therefore chalked the doors of all her
neighbours in like manner and kept the matter secret, never entrusting
it or to master or to mistress. Meanwhile the robber told his comrades
his tale of adventure and how he had found the clue; so the Captain and
with him all the band went one after other by different ways till they
entered the city; and he who had placed the mark on Ali Baba’s door
accompanied the Chief to point out the place. He conducted him
straightway to the house and shewing the sign exclaimed, “Here dwelleth
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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