Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/279

251 jewellery for thy daughter, and left the boy in pledge for the price; and I had not trusted her, but that I knew the child for thy son.’ ‘My daughter needs no jewellery,’ said the Provost; ‘give me the boy’s clothes.’

The Jew cried out, saying, ‘Come to my aid, O Muslims!’ but at that moment up came the dyer and the ass-man and the young merchant, who were going about, seeking the old woman, and enquired the cause of their quarrel. So they told them the case and they said, ‘This old woman is a cheat, who has cheated us before you.’ Then they told them how she had dealt with them, and the Provost said, ‘Since I have found my son, be his clothes his ransom! If I come upon the old woman, I will require them of her.’ And he carried the child home to his mother, who rejoiced in his safety. Then said the Jew to the three others, ‘Whither go ye?’ And they answered, saying, ‘We go to look for her.’ Quoth the Jew, ‘Take me with you. Is there any one of you knows her?’ ‘I know her,’ answered the ass-driver; and the Jew said, ‘If we go all together, we shall never catch her; for she will flee from us. Let us each take a different road, and be our rendezvous at the shop of Hajj Mesaoud, the Moorish barber.’ They agreed to this and set off, each in a different direction.

Presently, Delileh sallied forth again in quest of prey, and the ass-driver met her and knew her. So he caught hold of her and said to her, ‘Out on thee! Hast thou been long at this trade?’ ‘What ails thee?’ asked she; and he answered, ‘Give me back my ass.’ ‘O my son,’ said she, ‘cover what God covers! Dost thou seek thine ass and the people’s things?’ Quoth he, ‘I want my ass; that’s all.’ And she said, ‘I saw that thou wast poor; so I deposited thine ass for thee with the Moorish barber. Stand off, whilst I speak him fair, that he may give thee the beast.’ So she went up to the barber and kissed his