Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/337

311 door a score of troopers, who seized him, saying, “The chief of the police seeks for thee.” My brother implored them to let him return to his house, but they would grant him no delay, though he offered them a large sum of money, and binding him fast with cords, carried him off. On the way, there met them a friend of my brother, who clung to his skirts and implored him to stop and help to deliver him from their hands. So he stopped and enquired what was the matter; to which they replied, “The chief of the police has ordered us to bring this man before him, and we are doing so.” The man interceded with them and offered them five hundred dinars to let my brother go, saying, “Tell the magistrate that ye could not find him.” But they refused and dragged him before the prefect, who said to him, “Whence hadst thou these stuffs and money?” Quoth my brother, “Grant me indemnity.” So the magistrate gave him the handkerchief of pardon, and he told him all that had befallen him, from first to last, including the flight of the damsel, adding, “Take what thou wilt, so thou leave me enough to live on.” But the prefect took the whole of the stuff and money for himself and fearing lest the affair should reach the Sultan’s ears, said to my brother, “Depart from this city, or I will hang thee.” “I hear and obey,” replied my brother, and set out for another town. On the way thieves fell on him and stripped him and beat him and cut off his ears. But I heard of his misfortunes and went out after him, taking him clothes, and brought him back privily to the city, where I made him an allowance for meat and drink. STORY OF THE BARBER’S SIXTH BROTHER.

My sixth brother, he of the cropt lips, O Commander of the Faithful, was once rich, but after became poor. One day he went out to seek somewhat to keep life in him