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
Said she, "Here am I sitting in my chamber; so go thou to him
forthright and knock at the door and contrive to go in to him quickly.
An thou see the damsel with him 'tis a slave-girl of his who resembleth
me (and Glory be to Him who hath no resemblance![FN#431]) But, an thou
see no slave-girl with him, then am I myself she whom thou sawest with
him in the shop, and thine ill thought of me will be stablished."
"True," answered Obayd, and went out leaving her, whereupon she passed
through the hidden passage and seating herself by Kamar al-Zaman, told
him what had passed, saying, "Open the door quickly and show me to
him." Now, as they were talking, behold, there came a knocking at the
door. Quoth Kamar al-Zaman, "Who is at the door?"; and quoth the
jeweller, "I, thy friend; thou displayedst to me thy slave- girl in the
bazar, and I rejoiced for thee in her, but my joy in her was not
completed; so open the door and let me look at her again." Rejoined he,
"So be it," and opened the door to him, whereupon he saw his wife
sitting by him. She rose and kissed their hands; and he looked at her;
then she talked with him awhile and he saw her not to be distinguished
from his wife in aught and said, "Allah createth whatso He will." Then
he went away more disheartened than before and returned to his own
house where he saw his wife sitting, for she had foregone him thither
by the souterrain.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventy-fifth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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