Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/20

2 some crisis in Islam.’ So he went out in haste and mounted his mule, saying to his servant, ‘Take the mule’s nose-bag with thee; it may be she has not finished her feed; and when we come to the Khalif’s palace, put the bag on her, that she may eat what is left of her fodder, whilst I am with the Khalif.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied the man.

So the Imam rode to the palace and was admitted to the presence of Er Reshid, who made him sit down on the couch beside himself, whereas he was used to seat none but him, and said to him, ‘We have sent for thee at this hour to advise us upon a grave matter, with which we know not how to deal.’ And he expounded to him the case. ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ replied Abou Yousuf, ‘this is the easiest of things.’ Then he turned to Jaafer and said to him, ‘O Jaafer, sell half of her to the Commander of the Faithful and give him the other half; so shall ye both be quit of your oaths.’ The Khalif was delighted with this and they did as he prescribed. Then said Er Reshid, ‘Bring me the girl at once, for I long for her exceedingly.’ So they brought her and the Khalif said to Abou Yousuf, ‘I have a mind to lie with her forthright; for I cannot endure to abstain from her during the prescribed period of purification; how is this to be done?’ ‘Bring me one of thine unenfranchised male slaves,’ answered the Imam, ‘and give me leave to marry her to him; then let him divorce her before consummation. So shall it be lawful for thee to lie with her before purification.’ This expedient pleased the Khalif yet more than the first and he sent for the slave. When he came, Er Reshid said to the Imam, ‘I authorize thee to marry her to him.’ So the Imam proposed the marriage to the slave, who accepted it, and performed the due ceremony; after which he said to the slave, ‘Divorce her, and thou shalt have a hundred dinars.’ But he refused to do this