Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/379

351 softly, whereupon said Noureddin, ‘O Gaffer Ibrahim, some one knocks at the door.’ ‘Who is at the door?’ cried the old man; and the Khalif replied, ‘It is I, O Gaffer Ibrahim!’ ‘Who art thou?’ asked the gardener. ‘I, Kerim the fisherman,’ rejoined the Khalif. ‘I hear thou hast company, so have brought thee some fine fish.’ When Noureddin heard the mention of fish, he was glad, he and the damsel, and they both said to Ibrahim, ‘O my lord, open the door and let him bring the fish in to us.’ So he opened the door, and the Khalif entered, in his fisherman’s disguise, and began by saluting them. Quoth Ibrahim, ‘Welcome to the brigand, the robber, the gambler! Let us see thy fish.’ So the Khalif showed them the fish and behold, they were still alive and moving, whereupon the damsel exclaimed, ‘O my lord, these are indeed fine fish! Would that they were fried!’ ‘By Allah, O my mistress,’ replied Ibrahim, ‘thou art right.’ Then said he to the Khalif, ‘O fisherman, why didst thou not bring us the fish ready fried? Go now and fry them and bring them to us.’ ‘It shall be done at once,’ answered he. Said they, ‘Be quick about it.’ So he went out, running, and coming up to Jaafer, cried out, ‘Hallo, Jaafer!’ ‘Here am I, O Commander of the Faithful!’ replied he. ‘They want the fish fried,’ said the Khalif. ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered Jaafer, ‘give it to me and I will fry it for them.’ ‘By the tombs of my forefathers,’ said the Khalif, ‘none shall fry it but I, with my own hand!’ So he repaired to the keeper’s hut, where he searched and found all that he required, even to salt and saffron and marjoram and so forth. Then he laid the fish on the frying-pan and setting it on the brazier, fried them handsomely. When they were done, he laid them on a banana-leaf, and gathering some lemons from the garden, carried the dish to the pavilion and set it before them. So Noureddin and the damsel and Ibrahim came forward and ate, after which