Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Folklore -- Arab countries
Why so? replied Noureddin; what is the reason I must be gone so soon? Ah!
sir, said Sangiar, make haste away, and take your slave with you; for, in
short, Saouy has been just now acquainting the king, after his own way of
telling it, all that happened between you and him; and the captain of the
guards will be here in an instant, with forty soldiers, and seize you and
the Fair Persian. Here, sir, take these forty pieces of gold; it is all I
have about me, to assist you in finding out some other place of safety.
Excuse my not staying any longer with you: I leave you with a great deal
of unwillingness; but I do it for the good of us both. I have so much
interest with the captain of the guards, that he will take no notice of
me. Sangiar gave Noureddin but just time to thank him, and away he went.
Noureddin presently acquainted the Fair Persian with the absolute
necessity of their going that moment. She only staid to put on her veil,
and then they both stole out of the house together, and were so very
lucky, as not only to get clear of the city, without the least notice
being taken of their escape, but also safely to arrive at the mouth of
the Euphrates, where they embarked in a vessel that lay ready to weigh
anchor.
They were no sooner on ship-board than the captain came upon deck amongst
his passengers: My children, said he to them, are you all here? have any
of you any more business to do in the city? or have you left any thing
behind you? They answered him they were all there, and ready prepared; so
that he might set sail as soon as he pleased. When Noureddin came aboard,
the first question he asked was, whither the ship was bound? and being
told for Bagdad, he greatly rejoiced at it. And now the captain having
weighed anchor, set sail, and the vessel with a very favourable wind lost
sight of Balsora.
But now let us see how matters went at Balsora, in the mean time, while
Noureddin and the Fair Persian made their escape from the fury of the
enraged king.
The captain of the guards came to Noureddin’s house and knocked at the
door, but nobody coming to open it, he ordered his soldiers to break it
down, who immediately obeyed him, and in they rushed in a full body. They
searched every hole and corner of the house, but neither he nor the Fair
Persian were to be found. The captain of the guards made them inquire of
the neighbours, and he asked himself if they had seen them lately: it was
all in vain; for, though they had seen him go out of his house, so
universally beloved was Noureddin, that not one of them would have said
the least word that might be injurious to him. As soon as they had rifled
the house and levelled it to the ground, they went to acquaint the king
with the news. Look for them, said he, in some other places, for I am
resolved to have them found.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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