Page:Swahili tales.djvu/175

Rh perforce, and went within his house, and mounted up-stairs to his reception room. And he invited him in, and he entered within, and sat down.

And when he had sat down, there was brought to him a purse of five hundred deenars. And he said, "I beg of you enter the bath, for you have been harassed many days in the journey coming by the desert, and you must be tired; so, I beg of you, enter the bath."

Well, he arose and entered the bath, and the water which was in the bath was scented with roses, that was the kind of water that was in it. And he entered and bathed. And eunuch slaves came, and rubbed him with silken towels. And when he had finished, he came out and he was given clothes to dry off the water, and each garment was of silk and gold thread. And he dried off the water. And when he took them off, he was brought a packet of other clothes, clothes better than those for drying off the water, and he put them on. And the others were folded up and put with the purse which had been before given to him. And he went into the reception room and sat down.

And when he had sat down, he lifted up his eyes and looked at the reception room, its furniture, and what was spread on its floor. And he found it very marvellous, and thought in his heart, "Even the caliph's chamber is not furnished in this way." And water was brought and he washed, he, Mesroor Sayafi, and the governor, Mohammed Zabidi, and all that were there in the reception room. And when they had washed, they saw young slaves enter with food, and they came and laid it out, and they ate. And when they had eaten, he thought, "These viands are such as are not in the universe."

And he was given a sleeping chamber. And he entered his chamber which was prepared for his sleeping, and