Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/297

275 and put off the operation to a more convenient season. So I recited the following verses in his honour:

Thy father was charmed and cried out to the servant, saying, “Give him a hundred and three dinars and a dress of honour.” The servant did as he bade, and I waited till a favourable moment, when I let him blood; and he did not cross me, but thanked me, and all present also praised me. When the cupping was over, I could not help saying to him, “By Allah, O my lord, what made thee say to the servant, ‘Give him a hundred and three dinars’?” Quoth he, “One dinar was for the astrological observation, another for thine entertaining converse, the third for the blood-letting and the remaining hundred and the dress for thy verses in my honour.”’ ‘May God show no mercy to my father,’ exclaimed I, ‘for knowing the like of thee!’ He laughed and said, ‘There is no god but God and Mohammed is His Apostle! Glory be to Him who changes but is not changed! I took thee for a man of sense; but I see thou dotest for illness. God says, in His precious Book, that Paradise is prepared for “those who restrain their wrath and forgive men”, and in any case thou art excused. But I am ignorant of the cause of thy haste, and thou must know that thy father and grandfather did nothing without consulting me, for indeed it is said that he with whom one takes counsel should be trustworthy and that he who takes counsel shall not be disappointed. It is said also that he