The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Egyptian limes and Sultani oranges and citrons; besides Aleppine
jasmine, scented myrtle berries, Damascene nenuphars, flower of
privet[FN#142] and camomile, blood red anemones, violets, and
pomegranate bloom, eglantine and narcissus, and set the whole in the
Porter's crate, saying, "Up with it." So he lifted and followed her
till she stopped at a butcher's booth and said, "Cut me off ten pounds
of mutton." She paid him his price and he wrapped it in a banana leaf,
whereupon she laid it in the crate and said "Hoist, O Porter." He
hoisted accordingly, and followed her as she walked on till she stopped
at a grocer's, where she bought dry fruits and pistachio kernels,
Tihamah raisins, shelled almonds and all wanted for dessert, and said
to the Porter, "Lift and follow me." So he up with his hamper and after
her till she stayed at the confectioner's, and she bought an earthen
platter, and piled it with all kinds of sweetmeats in his shop, open
worked tarts and fritters scented with musk and "soap cakes," and lemon
loaves and melon preserves,[FN#143] and "Zaynab's combs," and "ladies'
fingers," and "Kazi's tit-bits" and goodies of every description; and
placed the platter in the Porter's crate. Thereupon quoth he (being a
merry man), "Thou shouldest have told me, and I would have brought with
me a pony or a she camel to carry all this market stuff." She smiled
and gave him a little cuff on the nape saying, "Step out and exceed not
in words for (Allah willing!) thy wage will not be wanting." Then she
stopped at a perfumer's and took from him ten sorts of waters, rose
scented with musk, orange-flower, water-lily, willow-flower, violet and
five others; and she also bought two loaves of sugar, a bottle for
perfume spraying, a lump of male incense, aloe-wood, ambergris and
musk, with candles of Alexandria wax; and she put the whole into the
basket, saying, "Up with thy crate and after me." He did so and
followed until she stood before the greengrocer's, of whom she bought
pickled safflower and olives, in brine and in oil; with tarragon and
cream cheese and hard Syrian cheese; and she stowed them away in the
crate saying to the Porter, "Take up thy basket and follow me." He did
so and went after her till she came to a fair mansion fronted by a
spacious court, a tall, fine place to which columns gave strength and
grace: and the gate thereof had two leaves of ebony inlaid with plates
of red gold. The lady stopped at the door and, turning her face veil
sideways, knocked softly with her knuckles whilst the Porter stood
behind her, thinking of naught save her beauty and loveliness.
Presently the door swung back and both leaves were opened, whereupon he
looked to see who had opened it; and behold, it was a lady of tall
figure, some five feet high; a model of beauty and loveliness,
brilliance and symmetry and perfect grace. Her forehead was flower
white; her cheeks like the anemone ruddy bright; her eyes were those of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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