The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 08 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 08 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
on it a little of the powder from the paper and it became a lump of
pure gold. When he saw this, he joyed with exceeding joy and was
filled with amazement and could think of nothing save the gold; but,
whilst he was occupied with taking up the lumps of metal from the
melting-pot, the Persian pulled out of his turband in haste a packet of
Cretan Bhang, which if an elephant smelt, he would sleep from night to
night, and cutting off a little thereof, put it in a piece of the
sweetmeat. Then said he, "O Hasan, thou art become my very son and
dearer to me than soul and wealth, and I have a daughter whose like
never have eyes beheld for beauty and loveliness, symmetry and perfect
grace. Now I see that thou befittest none but her and she none but
thee; wherefore, if it be Allah's will, I will marry thee to her."
Replied Hasan, "I am thy servant and whatso good thou dost with me will
be a deposit with the Almighty!" and the Persian rejoined, "O my son,
have fair patience and fair shall betide thee." Therewith he gave him
the piece of sweetmeat and he took it and kissing his hand, put it in
his mouth, knowing not what was hidden for him in the after time for
only the Lord of Futurity knoweth the Future. But hardly had he
swallowed it, when he fell down, head foregoing heels, and was lost to
the world; whereupon the Persian, seeing him in such calamitous case,
rejoiced exceedingly and cried, "Thou hast fallen into my snares, O
gallows-carrion, O dog of the Arabs! This many a year have I sought
thee and now I have found thee, O Hasan!"—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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