Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 3.djvu/191

 THE MERCHANT OF CAIRO AND THE FAVOURITE OF THE KHALIF EL MAMOUN EL HAKIM BI AMRILLAH.

As I sat one day in my shop, there came up to me a fair woman, as she were the moon at its rising, and with her a slave-girl. Now I was a handsome man in my time; so the lady sat down on [the bench before] my shop and buying stuffs of me, paid down the price and went away. I questioned the girl of her and she said, “I know not her name.” Quoth I, “Where is her abode?” “In heaven,” answered the slave-girl; and I said, “She is presently on the earth; so when doth she ascend to heaven and where is the ladder by which she goeth up?” Quoth the girl, “She hath her lodging in a palace between two rivers, to wit, the palace of El Mamoun el Hakim bi Amrillah.” Then said I, “I am