Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/267

243 When the Khalif heard this, he exclaimed, “By Allah, it is good! By Allah, it is excellent! Verily, God hath been good to thee, O Num! How sweet is thy voice and how clear thy speech!” They passed the time thus in mirth and good cheer, till midnight, when the Khalif’s sister said to him, “O Commander of the Faithful, give ear to a tale I have read in books of a certain man of rank.” “And what is this tale?” asked he. “Know,” said she, “that there lived once in the city of Cufa, a youth called Nimeh ben er Rebya, and he had a slave-girl whom he loved and who loved him. They had been reared in one bed; but when they grew up and mutual love took possession of them, fate smote them with its calamities and decreed separation unto them. For designing folk enticed her by sleight forth of his house and stealing her away from him, sold her to one of the Kings for ten thousand dinars. Now the girl loved her lord even as he loved her; so he left house and home and fortune and setting out in quest of her, made shift, at the peril of his life, to gain access to her; but they had not been long in company, when in came the King, who had bought her of her ravisher, and hastily bade put them to death, without waiting to enquire into the matter, as was just. What sayest thou, O Commander of the Faithful, of this King’s conduct?” “This was indeed a strange thing,” answered the Khalif; “it behoved the King to use his power with clemency, and he should have considered three things in their favour; first, that they loved one another; secondly, that they were in his house and under his hand; and thirdly, that it behoves a King to be deliberate in judging between the folk, and how much more so when he himself is concerned! Wherefore the King in this did unkingly.” Then said his sister, “O my brother by the Lord of heaven and earth, I conjure thee, bid Num sing and give ear to that she shall sing!” And he said, “O Num, sing