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
eye.' After this, a month passed, without her coming, O Commander of
the Faithful, and I abode bewildered for love of her; but, at the end
of this time, she suddenly appeared again and saluted me, whereat I was
like to fly for joy. She asked me how I did and said to me, 'Haply thou
saidst to thyself, What manner of trickstress is this, who hath taken
my money and made off?' Answered I, 'By Allah, O my lady, my money and
my life are all thy very own!' With this she unveiled herself and sat
down to rest, with the trinkets and ornaments playing over her face and
bosom. Presently, she said to me, 'Weigh me out three hundred dinars.'
'Hearkening and obedience,' answered I and weighed out to her the
money. She took it and went away and I said to my servant, 'Follow
her.' So he followed her, but returned dumbstruck, and some time passed
without my seeing her. But, as I was sitting one day, behold, she came
up to me and after talking awhile, said to me, 'Weigh me out five
hundred dinars, for I have need of them.' I would have said to her,
'Why should I give thee my money?'; but my love immense hindered me
from utterance; for, O Prince of True Believers, whenever I saw her, I
trembled in every joint and my colour paled and I forgot what I would
have said and became even as saith the poet,
''Tis naught but this! When a-sudden I see her * Mumchance I bide nor a
word can say her.'
So I weighed out for her the five hundred ducats, and she took them and
went away; whereupon I arose and followed her myself, till she came to
the jewel-bazar, where she stopped at a man's shop and took of him a
necklace. Then she turned and seeing me, said, 'Pay him five hundred
dinars for me.' When the jeweller saw me, he rose to me and made much
of me, and I said to him, 'Give her the necklace and set down the price
to me.' He replied, 'I hear and obey,' and she took it and went
away;"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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