Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Tales -- Arab countries
When the ceremony of changing the dresses so many times was
completed, the musicians ceased to play, and retired, making signs
to Bedreddin to remain. The ladies did the same thing, and took
their leave, together with all those who did not belong to the
house. The bride went into a closet, where her women followed to
undress her, and there remained no one in the hall except the
hunchback groom, Bedreddin Hassan, and some servants. The hunchback,
who was furiously enraged with Bedreddin, gave him a scowling look
out of the corner of his eyes, “What art thou waiting for?” he
called out, “Why dost thou not depart with the rest? walk off.”
As Bedreddin had no pretext for remaining there, he retired, rather
embarrassed; but he was scarcely out of the vestibule, when the
Genius and the fairy presented themselves before him, and stopped
him. “Where art thou going?” said the Genius, “return, for the
hunchback has left the hall; you have nothing to do, but to go in
and make your way to the chamber of the bride. When you are alone
with her, tell her confidently, that you are her husband; that the
sultan only intended to divert himself with the hunchback, and that
to appease this pretended husband you have ordered him a large dish
of cream in his stable. Then tell her all you can think of, to
persuade her of the truth of this. With such a person as yours, you
will not find much difficulty in it, and she will be delighted with
so agreeable an exchange. We are now going to regulate matters so,
that the hunchback shall not return to prevent you from passing the
night with your bride; for she is yours, not his.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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