Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/38

20 Yea, whensoe’er the rich man speaks, though in his speech he err, ‘Thou hast not spoken a vain thing,’ they say; ‘indeed, thou’rt right.’ But, for the poor man, an he speak, albeit he say sooth, They say, ‘Thou liest,’ and make void his speech and hold it light For money, verily, in all the lands beneath the sun, With goodliness and dignity doth its possessors dight. A very tongue it is for him who would be eloquent And eke a weapon to his hand who hath a mind to fight.”

When he heard this, he bowed his head awhile, then, raising it, said, “If it must be so, I will have of thee other three thousand dinars.” “I hear and obey,” answered I and sent one of my servants to my house for the money. When he came back with it, I handed it to the Sherif, who rose and bidding his servants shut his shop, invited his brother-merchants to the wedding; after which he carried me to his house and drew up the contract of marriage between his daughter and myself, saying to me, “After ten days, I will bring thee in to her.” So I went home rejoicing and shutting myself up with the ape, told him what had passed; and he said, “Thou hast done well.”

When the time appointed by the Sherif drew near, the ape said to me, “There is a thing I would fain have thee do for me; and after, thou shalt have of me what thou wilt.” “What is that?” asked I. Quoth he, “At the upper end of the bridechamber stands a cabinet, on whose door is a padlock of brass and the keys under it. Take the keys and open the cabinet, in which thou wilt find a coffer of iron, with four talismanic flags at its angles. In its midst is a brass basin full of money, wherein is tied a white cock with a cleft comb; and on one side of the coffer are eleven serpents and on the other a knife. Take the knife and kill the cock; cut away the flags and overturn the chest; then go back to the bride and do away her maidenhead. This is what I have to ask of thee.” “I hear and obey,” answered I and betook myself to the Sherif’s house.