Page:Muhammad Diyab al-Itlidi - Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalîfahs - Alice Frere - 1873.djvu/62

Rh carrying chairs encrusted with precious stones. And these they placed, ten on his right hand, and ten on his left. Then came slave-girls wearing coronets of gold. And they seated themselves upon the chairs on his right hand, and on his left. And they were followed by another slave-girl, like unto the sun for beauty. Upon her head was a coronet, and on the coronet a bird, than which I have never seen one more beautiful. And in one hand she had a vase of powdered musk, and in the other a vase of rose-water. And she made a sign, and whistled to the bird which was upon her coronet, and he flew down into the vase of musk and bestirred himself in it. Then she whistled to him a second time, and he flew into the vase of rose-water, and splashed about in it. And then she made a sign to him, and he flew up, and alighted upon the cross which surmounted Jábalah's crown, and did not cease fluttering his wings until he had scattered what was on his feathers over Jábalah, who laughed in the excess of his delight until his eye-teeth were visible.

Then he turned to the slave-girls who were upon his right hand, and said to them, "Make us laugh." So they broke forth into singing, and