Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/353

323 of chamberlains and viziers and officers of state, he was in nowise concerned and questioned not of them, but let his chin fall on his breast and looked where his feet fell, till they brought him to the Khalif, when he stood before him, with head bowed down, and saluted him not neither spoke. So one of the attendants said to him, ‘O dog of the Arabs, what ails thee that thou salutest not the Commander of the Faithful?’ The youth turned to him angrily and replied, ‘O packsaddle of an ass, the length of the way it was that hindered me from this and the steepness of the steps and sweat.’ Then said Hisham (and indeed he was exceeding wroth), ‘O boy, thou art come to thy last hour; thy hope is gone from thee and thy life is past.’ ‘By Allah, O Hisham,’ answered the Arab, ‘if the time be prolonged and its cutting short be not ordained of destiny, thy words irk me not, be they much or little.’ Then said the (chief) chamberlain to him, ‘O vilest of the Arabs, what art thou to bandy words with the Commander of the Faithful?’ He answered promptly, ‘Mayest thou meet with adversity and may woe and mourning never depart from thee! Hast thou not heard the saying of God the Most High? “One day, every soul shall come to give an account of itself.”’ At this, Hisham rose, in great wrath, and said, ‘O headsman, bring me his head; for indeed he multiplies talk, such as passes conception, and fears not reproach.’ So the headsman took him and making him kneel on the carpet of blood, drew his sword and said to the Khalif, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, shall I smite off the head of this thy misguided slave, who is on the way to his grave, and be quit of his blood?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Hisham. He repeated his question and the Khalif again replied in the affirmative. Then he asked leave a third time, and the youth, knowing that,