Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/147

129 water, then woke him gently and brought him the warm water, with which he washed his face and thanked me, saying, “God requite thee with good, O youth! By Allah, if I escape from this my danger and from him they call Agib ben Khesib, I will make my father reward thee!” “May the day never come on which evil shall befall thee,” answered I, “and may God appoint my last day before thine!” Then I set on food and we ate, and I made ready perfumes with which he scented himself. Moreover, I made him a backgammon board, and we played and ate sweetmeats and played again till nightfall when I rose and lighting the lamps, set on food; and we ate and sat talking till the night was far spent. Then he lay down to sleep and I covered him up and went to sleep myself. Thus I did with him, day and night, and the love of him got hold upon my heart and I forgot my troubles and said to myself, “The astrologers lied; by Allah, I will not kill him!” I ceased not to serve him and bear him company and entertain him thus, till nine-and-thirty days were passed and we came to the morning of the fortieth day, when he rejoiced and said to me, “O my brother, the forty days are up to-day, praised be God who hath preserved me from death, and this by thy blessing and the blessing of thy coming to me, and I pray Him to restore thee to thy country! But now, O my brother, I prithee heat me some water, that I may wash my body and change my clothes.” “With all my heart,” answered I; and heated water in plenty and carrying it in to him, washed his body well with lupin-meal and rubbed him down and changed his clothes and spread him a high bed, on which he lay down to rest after the bath. Then said he, “O my brother, cut me a melon and sweeten it with sugar-candy.” So I went

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