The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
As soon as they were seated, the
Moor bade Rahmah bring him a certain bundle[FN#276] and opening it,
drew out a dress worth a thousand diners, which he gave to Judar,
saying, “Don this dress, O Judar, and welcome to thee!” So Judar put it
on and became a fair en sample of the Kings of the West. Then the
Maghribi laid the saddle bags before him, and, putting in his hand,
pulled out dish after dish, till they had before them a tray of forty
kinds of meat, when he said to Judar, “Come near, O my master! eat and
excuse us”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say,
When it was the Six Hundred and Thirteenth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Maghribi
having served up in the pavilion a tray of forty kinds of meat, said to
Judar, “Come near, O my master, and excuse us for that we know not what
meats thou desirest; but tell us what thou hast a mind to, and we will
set it before thee without delay.” Replied Judar, “By Allah, O my lord
the pilgrim, I love all kinds of meat and unlove none; so ask me not of
aught, but bring all that cometh to thy thought, for save eating to do
I have nought.” After this he tarried twenty days with the Moor, who
clad him in new clothes every day, and all this time they ate from the
saddle bags; for the Maghribi bought neither meat nor bread nor aught
else, nor cooked, but brought everything out of the bags, even to
various sorts of fruit. On the twenty first day, he said, “O Judar up
with thee; this is the day appointed for opening the hoard of
Al-Shamardal.” So he rose and they went afoot[FN#277] without the city,
where they found two slaves, each holding a she mule. The Moor mounted
one beast and Judar the other, and they ceased not riding till noon,
when they came to a stream of running water, on whose banks Abd
al-Samad alighted saying, “Dismount, O Judar!” Then he signed with his
hand to the slaves and said, “To it!” So they took the mules and going
each his own way, were absent awhile, after which they returned, one
bearing a tent, which he pitched, and the other carpets, which he
spread in the tent and laid mattresses, pillows and cushions there
around. Then one of them brought the caskets containing the two fishes;
and another fetched the saddle bags; whereupon the Maghribi arose and
said, “Come, O Judar!” So Judar followed him into the tent and sat down
beside him; and he brought out dishes of meat from the saddle bags and
they ate the undurn meal. Then the Moor took the two caskets and
conjured over them both, whereupon there came from within voices that
said’ “Adsumus, at thy service, O diviner of the world! Have mercy upon
us!” and called aloud for aid. But he ceased not to repeat conjurations
and they to call for help, till the two caskets flew in sunder, the
fragments flying about, and there came forth two men, with pinioned
hands saying, “Quarter, O diviner of the world! What wilt thou with
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