Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/341

315 till he became drunk and dealt unmannerly by thee; but thou art too noble not to bear with his ignorance and pardon his offence.” When the Barmecide heard my brother’s words, he laughed heartily and exclaimed, “Long have I used to make mock of men and play the fool with those who are apt at jesting and horse-play; but never have I come across any, who had patience and wit to enter into all my humours, but thee; so I pardon thee, and now thou shalt be my boon companion,boon-companion, [sic] in very deed, and never leave me.” Then he bade his servants lay the table in good earnest, and they set on all the dishes of which he had spoken, and he and my brother ate till they were satisfied, after which they removed to the drinking-chamber, where they found damsels like moons, who sang all manner of songs and played on all kinds of musical instruments. There they remained, drinking, till drunkenness overcame them, and the host used my brother as a familiar friend, so that he became as it were his brother, and bestowed on him a dress of honour and loved him with an exceeding love. Next morning, they fell again to feasting and carousing, and ceased not to lead this life for twenty years, at the end of which time the Barmecide died and the Sultan laid hands on all his property and squeezed my brother, till he stripped him of all he had. So he left the city and fled forth at random, but the Arabs fell on him midway and taking him prisoner, carried him to their camp, where the Bedouin, his captor, tortured him, saying, “Ransom thyself with money, or I will kill thee.” My brother fell a-weeping and replied, “By Allah, I have nought! I am thy prisoner; do with me as thou wilt.” Thereupon the Bedouin took out a knife and cut off my brother’s lips, still urging his demand. Now this Bedouin had a handsome wife, who used to make advances to my brother, in her husband’s absence, and offer him her favours, but he held off from her. One day, she began to