第103章 STORY OF THE HUNCHBACK(25)

'for her heart is set on thee.'So my brother suffered them to dye his eyebrows and pluck out his moustachesafter which the damsel returned to her mistress and told her. Quoth she'There is one thing more to be done；thou must shave his chinthat he may be beardless.'So the maid went back and told my brother what her mistress bade her dowhereupon cried my fool of a brother，'How can I do what will dishonour me among the folk？'But the old woman said'She only wishes to do thus with theethat thou mayst be as a beardless youth and that no hair may be left on thy face to prick her；for she is passionately in love with thee. Be patient and thou shalt attain thy desire.'So he submitted to have his beard shaved off and his face rougedafter which they carried him back to the lady. When she saw him with his eyebrows dyedhis whiskers and moustaches plucked outhis beard shaved off and his face rougedshe was affrighted at himthen laughed till she fell backward and said'O my lordthou hast won my heart with thy good nature！'Then she conjured himby her life，to rise and dance；so he began to danceand there was not a cushion in the place but she threw it at himwhilst the damsels pelted him with oranges and limes and citronstill he fell down senseless. When he came to himselfthe old woman said to him，'Now thou hast attained thy desire. There is no more beating for thee and there remains but one thing more. It is her wontwhen she is heated with wineto let no one have to do with her till she put off her clothes and remain stark naked. Then she will bid thee stripin like mannerand run before thee from place to placeas if she fled from theeand thou after hertill thy yard be in good pointwhen she will stop and give herself up to thee. So now rise and put off thy clothes.'So he rosewell-nigh beside himselfand stripped himself stark naked；whereupon the lady stripped also and saying to my brother'Follow meif thou desire aught，'set off running in at one place and out at another and he after hertransported for desiretill his yard roseas he were mad. Presently she entered a dark passageand in following herhe trod upon a soft placewhich gave way with himand before he knew where he washe found himself in the midst of the market of the fell-mongerswho were calling skins for sale and buying and selling. When they saw him in this plightnakedwith yard on endshaven facedyed eyebrows and rouged cheeksthey cried out and clapped their hands at him and flogged him with skins upon his naked bodytill he swooned away；when they set him on an ass and carried him to the chief of the policewho said'What is this？'Quoth they'This fellow came out upon us from the Vizier's housein this plight.'So the prefect gave him a hundred lashes and banished him from Baghdad.

HoweverI went out after him and brought him back privily into the city and made him an allowance for his livingthoughbut for my generous dispositionI had not put up with such a fellow.

Story of the Barber's Third Brother The name of my third brother was Fekic and he was blind. One day，chance and destiny led him to a great house and he knocked at the doordesiring speech of the ownerthat he might beg of him somewhat. Quoth the master of the house'Who is at the door？'

But my brother was silent and heard him repeatin a loud voice，'Who is there？'Still he made no answer and presently heard the master come to the door and open it and say'What dost thou want？'Charity，'replied my brother'for the love of God the Most High！'Art thou blind？'asked the man；and my brother said，'Yes.'Quoth the other'Give me thy hand.'So my brother put out his handthinking that he would give him something；but he took it and drawing him into the housecarried him upfrom stair to stairtill they reached the housetopmy brother thinking the while that he would surely give him food or money. Then said he to my brother'What dost thou wantO blind man？'Charity，for the love of God！'repeated my brother. 'God succour thee！'