Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/293

268 him [of concern] what made him forget the first and he said to the vizier, ‘Grant me time, so I may consider the answer.’ ‘Go out,’ replied the vizier, ‘and bring me the answer, or I will seize thy good.’

The merchant went out and returned to the old woman, who, seeing him changed of colour, said to him, ‘What did he ask thee, [may God confound] his hoariness?’ So he acquainted her with the case and she said to him, ‘Fear not; I will bring thee forth of this [strait].’ Quoth he, ‘God requite thee with good!’ And she said, ‘To-morrow go to him with a stout heart and say, “The answer to that whereof thou askest me is that thou put the heads of two staves into one of the holes; then take the other two staves and lay them across the middle of the first two and stop with their heads the second hole and with their butts the fourth hole. Then take the butts of the first two staves and stop with them the third hole.”’

So he repaired to the vizier and repeated to him the answer; and he marvelled at its justness and said to him, ‘Go; by Allah, I will ask thee no more questions, for thou with thy skill marrest my foundation.’ Then he entreated him friendly and the merchant acquainted him with the affair of the old woman; whereupon quoth the vizier, ‘Needs must the man of understanding company with