第68章

How comes my star to have grown propitious，when I know my ascendant to have been otherwise？'She laughed and cried，'Spare me this talk！ Hast thou anything to eat？'Replied he，'No，by Allah，nor yet to drink！ I have not eaten these two days，and am now in want of a morsel.'She asked，'Hast thou no money？'；and he said，'Allah keep this chest which hath beggared me： I gave all I had for it and am become bankrupt.'The damsel laughed at him and said，'Up with thee and seek of thy neighbours somewhat for me to eat，for I am hungry.'So he went forth and cried out，'Ho，people of the quarter！'Now the folk were asleep；but they awoke and asked，'What aileth thee，O Khalifah？'

Answered he，O my neighbours，I am hungry and have nothing to eat.'So one came down to him with a bannock and another with broken meats and third with a bittock of cheese and a fourth with a cucumber；and so on till he lap was full and he returned to his closet and laid the whole between her hands，saying，'Eat.'But she laughed at him，saying，'How can I eat of this，when I have not a mug of water whereof to drink？ I fear to choke with a mouthful and die.'Quoth he，'I will fill thee this pitcher.'[248]so he took the pitcher and going forth，stood in the midst of the street and cried out，saying，'Ho，people of the quarter！'Quoth they，'What calamity is upon thee to-night；[249] O Khalifah！'And he said，'Ye gave me food and I ate；

but now I am a-thirst；so give me to drink.'Thereupon one came down to him with a mug and another with an ewer and a third with a gugglet；and he filled his pitcher and，bearing it back，said to the damsel，'O my lady，thou lackest nothing now.'Answered she，'True，I want nothing more at this present.'Quoth he；'Speak to me and say me thy story.'And quoth she，'Fie upon thee！ An thou knowest me not，I will tell thee who I am.I am Kut al-Kulub，the Caliph's handmaiden，and the Lady Zubaydah was jealous of me；so she drugged me with Bhang and set me in this chest，'presently adding，'Alham-dolillah--praised be God--for that the matter hath come to easy issue and no worse！ But this befel me not save for thy good luck，for thou wilt certainly get of the Caliph Al-Rashid money galore，that will be the means of thine enrichment.'Quoth Khalifah，'I not Al-Rashid he in whose Palace I was imprisoned？''Yes，'answered she；and he said，'By Allah，never saw I more niggardly wight than he，that piper little of good and wit！ He gave me an hundred blows with a stick yesterday and but one dinar，for all I taught him to fish and made him my partner；but he played me false.'Replied she；'Leave this unseemly talk，and open thine eyes and look thou bear thyself respectfully，whenas thou seest him after this，and thou shalt win thy wish.'When he heard her words，it was if he had been asleep and awoke；and Allah removed the veil from his judgment，because of his good luck，[250] and he answered，'On my head and eyes！'Then said he to her，'Sleep，in the name of Allah.'[251]so she lay down and fell asleep （and he afar from her） till the morning，when she sought of him inkcase [252] and paper and，when they were brought wrote to Ibn al-Kirnas，the Caliph's friend，acquainting him with her case and how at the end of all that had befallen her she was with Khalifah the Fisherman，who had bought her.Then she gave him the scroll；saying，'Take this and hie thee to the jewel-market and ask for the shop of Ibn al-Kirnas the Jeweller and give him this paper and speak not.''I hear and I obey，'answered Khalifah and going with the scroll to the market，enquired for the shop of Ibn al-Kirnas.They directed him to thither and on entering it he saluted the merchant，who returned his salim with contempt and said to him，'What dost thou want？'Thereupon he gave him the letter and he took it，but read it not，thinking the Fisherman a beggar，who sought an alms of him，and said to one of his lads；'Give him half a dirham.'Quoth Khalifah，'I want to alms；read the paper.'So Ibn al-Kirnas took the letter and read it；and no sooner knew its import than he kissed it and laying it on his head--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-fourth Night； She resumed，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Ibn al-Kirnas read the letter and knew its import，he kissed it and laid it on his head；then he arose and said to Khalifah，'O my brother，where is thy house？'Asked Khalifah，'What wantest thou with my house？ Wilt thou go thither and steal my slave-girl？'

Then Ibn al-Kirnas answered，'No so： on the contrary，I will buy thee somewhat whereof you may eat，thou and she.'So he said；'My house is in such a quarter；'and the merchant rejoined，'Thou hast done well.May Allah not give thee health，O unlucky one！'

[253]Then he called out to two of his slaves and said to them，'Carry this man to the shop of Mohsin the Shroff and say to him，'O Mohsin，give this man a thousand dinars of gold；'then bring him back to me in haste.'So they carried him to the money-changer，who paid him the money，and returned with him to their master，whom they found mounted on a dapple she-mule worth a thousand dinars，with Mamelukes and pages about him，and by his side another mule like his own，saddled and bridled.Quoth the jeweller to Khalifah，'Bismillah，mount this mule.'Replied he；'I won't；for by Allah，I fear she throw me；'and quoth Ibn al-Kirnas，'By God，needs must thou mount.'