The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Allah! O my brother," replied she, "I have no face to beg; but To-morrow I will
enter some rich man's house and serve him and earn somewhat for our living."
Then she bethought herself awhile and said, "Of a truth 'tis hard for me to
leave thee and thou in this state, but I must despite myself!" He rejoined,
"Allah forbid! Thou wilt be put to shame; but there is no Majesty and there is
no Might save in Allah!" And he wept and she wept too. Then she said, "O my
brother, we are strangers who have dwelt here a full year, but none hath yet
knocked at our door. Shall we then die of hunger? I know no resource but that
I go out and do service and earn somewhat to keep us alive, till thou recover
from thy sickness, when we will travel back to our native land." She sat
weeping awhile and he wept too, propped upon his elbow. Then Nuzhat al-Zaman
arose and, veiling her head with a bit of camlet,[FN#234] which had been of the
cameleer's clothes and which the owner had forgotten and left with them; she
kissed the head of her brother and embraced him and went forth from him,
weeping and knowing not whither she should wend. And she stinted not going and
her brother Zau al-Makan awaiting her return till the supper-time; but she came
not, and he watched for her till the morning morrowed but still she returned
not; and this endured till two days went by. He was greatly troubled thereat
and his heart fluttered for her, and hunger was sore upon him. At last he left
the chamber and, calling the servant of the caravanserai, said, "I wish thee to
bear me to the bazar." So he carried him to the market-street and laid him down
there; and the people of Jerusalem gathered round him and were moved to tears
seeing his condition. He signed to them begging for somewhat to eat; so they
brought him some money from certain of the merchants who were in the bazar, and
bought food and fed him therewith; after which they carried him to a shop,
where they spread him a mat of palm-leaves and set an ewer of water at his
head. When night fell, all the folk went away, sore concerned for him and, in
the middle of the night, he called to mind his sister and his sickness
redoubled on him, so that he abstained from eating and drinking and became
insensible to the world around him. Then the bazar-people arose and took for
him from the merchants thirty-seven dirhams, and hiring a camel, said to the
driver, "Carry this sick man to Damascus and leave him in the hospital; haply
he may be cured and recover health." "On my head be it!" replied the camel-man;
but he said to himself, "How shall I take this sick man to Damascus, and he
nigh upon death?" So he carried him away to a place and hid with him till the
night, when he threw him down on the ash-heap near the fire-hole of a Hammam
and went his way. When morning dawned the Stoker[FN#235] of the bath came to
his work and, finding Zau al-Makan cast on his back, exclaimed, "Why did they
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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