Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Folklore -- Arab countries
As soon as the caliph’s voice was heard, every body was silent, and Abon
Hassan among the rest; who, turning his head to see from whence the voice
came, knew the caliph and the Moussel merchant, but was not in the least
dashed; but, on the contrary, found that he was awake, and all that had
happened to him was matter of fact, and not a dream. He entered into the
caliph’s pleasantry and intentions: Ha! ha! said he, looking at him with
a good assurance, you are a merchant of Moussel, and complain that I
would kill you, who have been the occasion of my using my mother so ill,
and being sent to a mad-house. It was you who treated the iman and the
four scheiks in the manner they were used, and not I; I wash my hands of
it. It was you who have been the cause of all my disorders: in short, you
are the aggressor, and I the injured person.
Indeed you are in the right of it, Abon Hassan, answered the caliph,
laughing all the while; but to comfort thee, and make thee amends for all
thy troubles, I call Heaven to witness, I am ready and willing to make
thee what reparation thou pleasest to ask. After these words, he came out
of the closet into the hall, and ordered one of his most magnificent
habits to be brought, and commanded the ladies to dress Abon Hassan in
it; and when they had done so, he said, embracing him, Thou art my
brother; ask what thou wilt, and thou shalt have it.
Commander of the Faithful, replied Abon Hassan, I beg of your majesty to
do me the favour to tell me what you did to disturb my brain in that
manner, and what was your design; for that is a thing of the greatest
importance for me to know, that I may perfectly recover my senses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account