The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
after which he returned to Abu Kir and found that he had eaten all that
was in the porringer and thrown it aside, empty.—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Abu Sir
returned to Abu Kir he saw that he had eaten all that was in the
porringer and had thrown it aside empty. So he took it up and gave it
to one of the Captain's servants, then went back to Abu Kir and slept
till the morning. On the morrow, he continued to shave, and all he got
by way of meat and drink he gave to his shipmate, who ate and drank and
sat still, rising not save to do what none could do for him, and every
night the barber brought him a full porringer from the Captain's table.
They fared thus twenty days until the galleon cast anchor in the
harbour of a city; whereupon they took leave of the skipper and
landing, entered the town and hired them a closet in a Khan. Abu Sir
furnished it and buying a cooking pot and a platter and spoons[FN#198]
and what else they needed, fetched meat and cooked it; but Abu Kir fell
asleep the moment he entered the Caravanserai and awoke not till Abu
Sir aroused him and set a tray of food[FN#199] before him. When he
awoke, he ate and saying to Abu Sir, "Blame me not, for I am giddy,"
fell asleep again. Thus he did forty days, whilst, every day, the
barber took his gear and making the round of the city, wrought for that
which fell to his lot,[FN#200] and returning, found the dyer asleep and
aroused him. The moment he awoke he fell ravenously upon the food,
eating as one who cannot have his fill nor be satisfied; after which he
went asleep again. On this wise he passed other forty days and
whenever the barber said to him, "Sit up and be comfortable[FN#201] and
go forth and take an airing in the city, for 'tis a gay place and a
pleasant and hath not its equal among the cities," he would reply,
"Blame me not, for I am giddy." Abu Sir cared not to hurt his feelings
nor give him hard words; but, on the forty-first day, he himself fell
sick and could not go abroad; so he engaged the porter of the Khan to
serve them both, and he did the needful for them and brought them meat
and drink whilst Abu Kir would do nothing but eat and sleep. The man
ceased not to wait upon them on this wise for four days, at the end of
which time the barber's malady redoubled on him, till he lost his
senses for stress of sickness; and Abu Kir, feeling the sharp pangs of
hunger, arose and sought in his comrade's clothes, where he found a
thousand silver bits. He took them and, shutting the door of the
closet upon Abu Sir, fared forth without telling any; and the
doorkeeper was then at market and thus saw him not go out. Presently
Abu Kir betook himself to the bazar and clad himself in costly clothes,
at a price of five hundred half-dirhams; then he proceeded to walk
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