Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/233

205 done, were he not dearer to her than her soul.’ ‘Thou didst well, O Asmaï,’ said the Khalif and gave him other three hundred dinars, in payment of his story. IBRAHIM OF MOSUL AND THE DEVIL.

(Quoth Abou Ishac Ibrahim el Mausili), I asked Er Reshid once to give me a day’s leave that I might be private with the people of my household and my friends, and he gave me leave for Saturday. So I went home and betook myself to making ready meat and drink and other necessaries and bade the doorkeepers shut the doors and let none come in to me. However, presently, as I sat in my sitting-chamber, with my women about me, I was ware of an old man of comely and reverend aspect, clad in white clothes and a shirt of fine stuff, with a doctor’s hood on his head and a silver-handled staff in his hand, and the house and porch were full of the sweet smell of the essences with which he was scented. I was greatly vexed at his coming in to me and thought to turn away the doorkeepers; but he saluted me after the goodliest fashion and I returned his greeting and bade him be seated. So he sat down and entertained me with stories of the Arabs and their verses, till my anger left me and methought my servants had sought to pleasure me by admitting a man of such good breeding and elegant culture.

Then said I to him, ‘Art thou for meat?’ ‘I have no need of it,’ answered he. ‘And for drink?’ asked I. ‘That is as thou wilt,’ said he. So I drank off a pint of wine and poured him out the like. Then said he, ‘O Abou Ishac, wilt thou sing us somewhat, so we may hear of thy fashion that wherein thou excellest high and low?’ His words vexed me; but I dissembled my annoyance and taking the lute, played and sang. ‘Well done, O Abou Ishac!’ said he; whereat my anger redoubled and I said