Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/45

25 ill-omen, wilt thou contradict me and tell me that I am not the Commander of the Faithful? It was I who commanded Jaafer the Barmecide to beat the sheikhs and parade them about the city and make proclamation before them and who sent thee the hundred dinars and sent to salute thee, and I, O beldam of ill-luck, am in very deed the Commander of the Faithful, and thou art a liar, who would make me out a dotard.”

So saying, he fell upon her and beat her with a staff of almond-wood, till she cried out, “[Help], O Muslims!” and he redoubled the beating upon her, till the folk heard her cries and coming to her, [found] Aboulhusn beating her and saying to her, “O old woman of ill-omen, am I not the Commander of the Faithful? Thou hast enchanted me!” When the folk heard his words, they said, “This man raveth,” and doubted not of his madness. So they came in upon him and seizing him, pinioned him and carried him to the hospital. Quoth the superintendant, “What aileth this youth?” And they said, “This is a madman.” “By Allah,” cried Aboulhusn, “they lie against me! I am no madman, but the Commander of the Faithful.” And the superintendant answered him, saying, “None lieth but thou, O unluckiest of madmen!”

Then he stripped him of his clothes and clapping on his neck a heavy chain, bound him to a high lattice and fell to drubbing him two bouts a day and two anights; and on this wise he abode the space of ten days. Then his mother came to him and said, “O my son, O Aboulhusn, return to thy reason, for this is the Devil’s