Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/248

226 In time of gifts, he’s like the brilliant moon; Like night, in battle, lowering and dread. Our necks are girt with his munificence; He rules by favours on the noble shed. May God prolong his life for our behoof And ward the blows of Fortune from his head.

When he had finished transcribing the poem, he despatched it by one of his uncle’s slaves to the King, who perused it, and it gladdened his heart; so he read it out to those present before him and they praised it exceedingly. Then he sent for Bedreddin to his sitting-chamber and said to him, “Henceforth thou art my boon-companion and I appoint thee a stipend of a thousand dirhems a month, over and above what I have already given thee.” So he arose and kissing the earth three times before the Sultan, wished him abiding glory and length of life. Then Bedreddin increased in honour and estate, so that his report spread into all countries, and he abode in the enjoyment of all the delights and comforts of life, he and his uncle and family, till Death overtook him.’ When the Khalif Haroun er Reshid heard this story from the mouth of his Vizier Jaafer, he wondered and said, ‘It behoves that these stories be written in letters of gold.’ Then he set the slave at liberty and assigned the young man who had killed his wife such a monthly allowance as sufficed to make his life easy. Moreover he gave him one of his female slaves to wife, and he became one of his boon-companions. STORY OF THE HUNCHBACK.

There lived once in the city of Bassora a tailor, who was openhanded and loved pleasure and merrymaking: and he was wont, he and his wife, to go out by times, a-pleasuring, to the public places of recreation. One day they went out as usual and were returning home in the evening, when they