The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01Anonymous
General
The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01
Anonymous
Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Folklore -- Arab countries
At this discourse, the vizier's daughter, who was more like one
dead than alive when she came into the bride-chamber, put on a
gay air, which made her so handsome that Bedreddin was perfectly
charmed with her. I did not expect, said she, to meet with so
pleasing a surprise, and had condemned myself to live unhappy all
my days; but my good fortune is so much the greater, as I possess
in you a man that is worthy of my tenderest affection. Having
spoken thus, she undressed herself, and stepped into bed.
Bedreddin, overjoyed to see himself possessor of so many charms,
made haste to follow her, and laid his clothes upon a chair, with
a bag that he got from the Jew, which, notwithstanding all the
money he pulled out, was still full. He likewise threw off his
turban, and put on a night-cap that had been ordered for
Hump-back, and so went to bed in his shirt and drawers[Footnote:
All the eastern nations lie in their drawers; but this
circumstance will serve Bedreddin in the sequel.]; the latter
were of blue satin, tied with a lace of gold. Whilst the two
lovers were asleep, the genius, who had met again with the fairy,
says to him, That it was high time to finish what was begun, and
hitherto so successfully carried on; then let us not be overtaken
by day-light, which will soon appear; go you, and bring off the
young man again without awaking him. The fairy went into the
bed-chamber where the two lovers were fast asleep, and took up
Bedreddin just as he was, that is to say, in his shirt and
drawers, and, in company with the genius, with a wonderful
swiftness flew away with him to the gates of Damascus in Syria,
where they arrived when the officer of the mosques, appointed for
that end, was calling the people to come to prayers at break of
day. The fairy laid Bedreddin softly on the ground, and, leaving
him close by the gate, departed with the genius. The gate of the
city being opened, and a great many people assembled to get out,
they were mightily surprised to see Bedreddin lying in his shirt
and drawers upon the ground. One said, He has been so hard put to
it to get away from his mistress, that he had not time to put on
his clothes. Look ye, says another, how people expose themselves;
sure enough he has spent the most part of the night in drinking
with his friends, till he has got drunk, and then perhaps, having
occasion to go out, instead of returning, is come this length,
and, not having his senses about him, was overtaken with sleep.
Others were of different opinions; but nobody could guess the
occasion of his being there. A small puff of wind happening to
blow at the time, uncovered his breast, which was whiter than
snow. Every one, being struck with admiration at the fineness of
his complexion, spoke so loud as to awake him. His surprise was
as great as theirs, when he found himself at the gate of a city
where he had never been before, and encompassed by a crowd of
people gazing at him. Gentlemen, said he, for God's sake tell me
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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