Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/41

23 what these were and it was answered her, ‘These are the chairs of the prophets and the stools of the just and the pious.’ ‘Which is the stool of such an one, my husband?’ asked she; and it was said to her, ‘Yonder one.’ So she looked and seeing a hole in its side, asked what it was. Quoth they, ‘It is the place of the ruby that came down to you from the roof of your house.’ Thereupon she awoke, weeping and bemoaning the defect in her husband’s stool among the seats of the just; so she told him the dream and said to him, ‘Let us pray God to restore the ruby to its place, for to suffer hunger and poverty during the few days [of our life here] were easier than a default in thy seat among the just in Paradise.’ Accordingly, he prayed to his Lord, and behold, the ruby flew up to the roof [and disappeared,] whilst they looked at it. And they ceased not from their poverty and piety, till they went to the presence of God, to whom belong might and majesty. EL HEJJAJ AND THE PIOUS MAN.

It is told that El Hejjaj ben Yousuf eth Thekefi had been long in pursuit of a certain man of the notables, and when he [was at last taken and] came before him, he said to him, ‘O enemy of God, He hath given thee into my hand.’ Then he bade his men hale him to prison and said to them, ‘Lay him in strait and heavy fetters and build a cage over him, that he may not come forth of it nor any go in to him.’ So they bore him to prison and summoned the blacksmith, who came and laid him in irons. Every time the smith gave a stroke with his hammer, the prisoner raised his eyes to heaven and said, ‘Verily, to Him belong creation and commandment!’ Then they built the cage over him and left him therein, deserted and lonely,