Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/375

341 the truth of thine avouchment and pay thee the price of thine eye; but, if they differ, thou liest and I will sue thee for the price of my eye.” Quoth the one-eyed man, “Grant me time;” but the merchant answered, saying, “I am a stranger and grant time to none, nor will I part from thee, [till thou satisfy me].” So the sharper ransomed his eye by paying him a hundred dinars and went away. Last of all came the buyer of the sandal-wood and said, “Take the price of thy ware.” “What wilt thou give me?” asked the merchant, and the other, “We agreed for a measure of whatever thou shouldst desire; so, if thou wilt, take it full of gold and silver.” “Not I,” answered the merchant. “Nothing will serve me but I must have it full of fleas, half male and half female.” “This is a thing none may avail unto,” said the sharper, and confessing himself beaten, returned him his sandal-wood and redeemed himself from him with a hundred dinars, to be off his bargain. Then the merchant sold the sandal-wood at his own price and returned to his own country. As for the three-year-old child,’ continued the prince, ‘I have heard tell that THE DEBAUCHEE AND THE THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILD.

A certain profligate man, who was addicted to women, once heard of a beautiful and graceful woman who dwelt in a town other than his own. So he journeyed thither, taking with him a gift, and wrote her a letter, seeking access to her and setting out all that he suffered for longing and desire for her and how the love of her had driven him to forsake his native land and come to her. She gave him leave to visit her and received him with all honour and worship, kissing his hands and entertaining him with the best of meat and drink. Now she had a little