Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/28

12 he should perish and his feet appear above the water. As for him who was successful, his hands would appear first above the water, whereupon it behoved that Jouder should cast the net over him and draw him ashore.”

Quoth my brothers Abdusselam and Abdulahed, “We will essay the adventure, though we perish;” and I said, “And I also will go;” but my brother Abdurrehim (he whom thou hast seen in the habit of a Jew) said, “I have no mind [to this].” So we agreed with him that he should repair to Cairo in the disguise of a Jewish merchant, so that, if one of us perished in the lake, he might take his mule and saddle-bags and give the bearer a hundred dinars. The first that came to thee the sons of the Red King slew, and so did they with the second; but against me they could not prevail and I laid hands on them.’ Quoth Jouder, ‘And where are they?’ ‘Didst thou not see me shut them in the caskets?’ asked the Moor. ‘Those were fish,’ said Jouder. ‘Nay,’ answered the Moor, ‘they are Afrits in the guise of fish. But, O Jouder,’ continued he, ‘thou must know that the treasure can only be achieved by thy means: so wilt thou do my bidding and go with me to the towns of Fez and Mequinez and open the treasure? And after I will give thee what thou wilt and thou shalt ever be my brother in the bond of God and return to thy family with a joyful heart.’ ‘O my lord the pilgrim,’ said Jouder, ‘I have on my hands a mother and two brothers, whose provider I am; and if I go with thee, who shall give them bread to eat?’ ‘This is an idle excuse,’ replied the Moor; ‘if it be but a matter of spending-money, I will give thee a thousand dinars for thy mother, wherewith she may provide herself till thou come back; and indeed thou shalt return before four months.’

When Jouder heard mention of the thousand dinars, he consented and the Moor, pulling out the money, gave it to him, whereupon he carried it to his mother and told her