Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/340

310 camest and we accosted thee by thy name and that of thy father, saying, “Shall we send thee down the gold?” and thou madest answer, saying, “Send away,” we knew thee for the owner of it and sent it down. Moreover, there is yet another treasure for thee in the land of Yemen, whither thou wouldst do well to journey and fetch it. And now I would have thee set me free, that I may go my way.’ ‘By Allah,’ said Ali, ‘I will not set thee free, till thou bring me hither the treasure from Yemen!’ Quoth the voice, ‘If I bring it thee, wilt thou release me and the servant of the other treasure also?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Ali; and the genie said, ‘Swear to me.’ So he swore to him, and he was about to go away, when Ali said to him, ‘I have one other service to ask of thee.’ ‘What is that?’ asked the genie. Quoth Ali, ‘I have a wife and children at Cairo, in such a place; thou must fetch them to me, at their ease and without hurt.’ ‘I will bring them to thee in state,’ answered the genie, ‘in a litter, with a train of slaves and servants, together with the treasure from Yemen, if it be the will of God the Most High.’ Then he took of him leave of absence for three days, at the end of which time all this should be with him, and departed.

When it was morning, Ali went round about the saloon, seeking a place wherein to lay the gold, and saw in the wall of the dais a marble panel, with a knob in it. So he pressed the knob and the panel slid back and discovered a door, which he opened and entering, found a great closet, full of linen bags. So he took out the bags and fell to filling them with gold and replacing them in the closet, till he had transported thither the whole treasure, whereupon he shut the door and pressing the knob, the panel returned to its place. Then he went down and seated himself on the bench behind the door. Presently, there came a knock at the door; so he opened it and found the merchant’s slave, who, seeing him, returned in haste to his master with the