Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/239

217 twenty of you go to the cook’s shop and demolish it; then tie his hands behind him with the linen of his turban, saying, ‘It was thou madest that vile mess of pomegranate-seed,’ and bring him hither by force, but without doing him any hurt.” And they replied, “It is well.” Then he mounted and riding to the palace, foregathered with the Viceroy of Damascus and showed him the Sultan’s letters-patent. He kissed them and laying them on his head, said to the Vizier, “Who is it hath offended against thee?” Quoth the Vizier, “He is a cook of this city.” So the Viceroy at once despatched his chamberlains to the shop and they went thither and found it in ruins and everything in it broken; for whilst the Vizier was at the palace, his men had done his bidding and carried Bedreddin to the tents, where they were then awaiting their master’s return, whilst Bedreddin said, “I wonder what they can have found in the pomegranate-seed to bring matters to this pass!” When the Vizier returned to the tents, after having gotten the Viceroy’s permission to take his debtor and depart with him, he called for the cook, and they brought Bedreddin before him, with his hands bound behind his back. When he saw his uncle, he wept sore and said, “O my lord, what is my offence against thee?” “Art thou he who made the mess of pomegranate-seed?” asked Shemseddin. “Yes,” replied Bedreddin; “didst thou find aught in it to call for the cutting off of my head?” Quoth the Vizier, “That were the least of thy desert.” “O my lord,” said Bedreddin, “wilt thou not tell me my crime and what ails the pomegranate-seed?” “Presently,” answered the Vizier and called to his men, saying, “Bring the camels.” So they struck camp and the Vizier caused Bedreddin to be put into a chest, which they locked and set on a camel. Then they departed and journeyed till nightfall, when they halted to eat and took Bedreddin out of his chest and fed him and locked him up again. Then they set out again