Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/36

18 unprofitable fellow, who hath no concern by night but weeping and by day but repentance.’ ‘It is for that I want him,’ said I. So the dealer called him, and he came out, feigning drowsiness. Quoth his master, ‘Take him at thine own price, so thou hold me quit of all his faults.’ So I bought him for twenty dinars and said, ‘What is his name?’ ‘Maimoun,’ answered the dealer; and I took him by the hand and went out with him, intending for my house; but he turned to me and said, ‘O my lesser lord, why didst thou buy me? By Allah, I am not fit for the service of the creature!’ ‘On my head be it,’ replied I; ‘I bought thee that I might serve thee myself.’ ‘Why so?’ asked he, and I said, ‘Wast thou not in company with us yesterday in the place of prayer?’ ‘And didst thou hear me?’ quoth he; and I answered, ‘It was I accosted thee yesterday and spoke with thee.’

Then we went on till we came to a mosque, where he entered and prayed a two-bow prayer; after which he said, ‘O my God and my Master and my Lord, the secret that was between Thee and me Thou hast discovered unto men and hast betrayed me therein among Thy creatures. How then shall life be sweet to me, now that others than Thou have happened upon that which is between Thee and me? I conjure Thee to take my soul to Thee forthright.’ So saying, he prostrated himself, and I waited awhile till, seeing that he did not raise his head, I went up to him and moved him and found that he was indeed dead, the mercy of God the Most High be upon him! I laid him out and looked at him, and behold, he was smiling. Moreover, whiteness had gotten the better of blackness in his face, and it was radiant with light.

As we wondered at his affair, the door opened and a young man came in to us and said, ‘Peace be on you! May God make great our reward and yours for our brother Maimoun! Here is his shroud: wrap him in it.’ So