Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/22

6 Thus he did seven days running, till he became disheartened and said in himself, ‘To-day I will go to Lake Caroun.’ So he went thither and was about to cast his net, when there came up to him unawares a Moor clad in a splendid habit and riding a mule with trappings embroidered with gold and on her back a pair of saddle-bags of the same stuff. The Moor alighted and said to him, ‘Peace be upon thee, O Jouder, son of Omar!’ ‘And on thee, O my lord the pilgrim!’ replied the fisherman. Quoth the Moor, ‘O Jouder, I have need of thee and if thou obey me, thou shalt get great good and shalt be my companion and do my occasions for me.’ ‘O my lord,’ replied Jouder, ‘Tell me what is in thy mind and I will obey thee, without demur.’ Quoth the Moor, ‘Repeat the First Chapter of the Koran.’ So he recited it with him and the Moor, bringing out a silken cord, said to Jouder, ‘Bind my hands fast behind me with this cord and cast me into the lake; then wait awhile and if thou see my hands appear above the water, cast thy net over me and draw me out in haste; but if I come up, feet foremost, then know that I am dead; in which case do thou leave me and take the mule and saddle-bags and carry them to the merchants’ bazaar, where thou wilt find a Jew, by name Shemaiah. Deliver him the mule and he will give thee a hundred dinars, which do thou take and go thy ways and keep the matter secret.’ So Jouder bound his hands behind his back and he kept saying, ‘Tighter.’ Then said he, ‘Push me into the lake.’ So he pushed him in and he sank.

Jouder stood waiting some time, till, at last, the Moor’s feet appeared above the water, whereupon he knew that he was dead. So he left him and drove the mule to the