The fairy and the genie having thus concerted what they had to do,
the genie lifted up Bedreddin Hassan gently, and with an
inconceivable swiftness carried him through the air, and set him
down at the door of a public house, next to the bath, whence
hump-back was to come with the train of slaves that waited for him.
Bedreddin Hassan awaked that very moment, and was mightily surprised
to find himself in the middle of a city he knew not. He was going to
cry out, and to ask where he was; but the genie touched him gently
on the shoulder, and forbid him to speak a word. Then he put a torch
in his hand, and bid him go and mix with the crowd at the door of
the bath --follow them till you come into a hall, where they are
going to celebrate a marriage. The bridegroom is a hump-backed
fellow, and by that you will easily know him. Put yourself at the
right hand as you go in, and then immediately open the purse of
sequins you have in your bosom, and distribute them among the
musicians and dancers as they go along; and when you are got into
the hall, give money also to the female slaves you see about the
bride, when they come near you; but every time you put your hand in
your purse, be sure to take out a whole handful, and do not spare
them. Observe to do every thing exactly as I have told you, with
great presence of mind; be not afraid of any person or thing, and
leave the rest to a superior power, who will order matters as he
thinks fit.
Young Bedreddin being well instructed in all that he was to do,
advanced towards the door of the bath; the first thing he did was to
light his torch as that of a slave; and then mixing among them as if
he belonged to some nobleman of Cairo, he marched along as they did,
and followed hump-back, who came out of the bath, and mounted a
horse out of the sultan’s own stable.
Bedreddin Hassan coming near to the musicians, and men and women
dancers, who went just before the bridegroom, pulled out time after
time whole handfuls of sequins, which he distributed among them; and
as he thus gave his money with an unparalleled grace and engaging
mien, all who received it cast their eyes upon him; and after they
had a full view of his face, they found him so handsome and comely,
that they could not look off again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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