Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/297

269 shalt play some trick in Baghdad that may advance thee to the Khalif’s service, so he may appoint thee stipends and allowances and assign thee a lodging, which is what thou desirest, and so peace be on thee.’

When Ali read this letter, he kissed it and laying it on his head, gave the water-carrier ten dinars; after which he returned to his lodging and told his comrades and commended them to one another. Then he changed his clothes and donning a tarboosh and a travelling cloak, took a case, containing a bamboo spear, four-and-twenty cubits long, made in several pieces, to fit into each other. Quoth his lieutenant, ‘Wilt thou go a journey, whenas the treasury is empty?’ ‘When I reach Damascus,’ answered Ali, ‘I will send you what shall suffice you.’ Then he set out and fared on, till he overtook a caravan about to start, whereof were the Provost of the Merchants and forty other merchants. They had all loaded their beasts, except the Provost, whose loads lay upon the ground, and Ali heard his caravan-leader, who was a Syrian, say to the muleteers, ‘Help me, one of you!’ But they mocked him and reviled him. Quoth Ali in himself, ‘None will suit me so well to travel withal as this leader.’

Now Ali was beardless and well-favoured; so he went up to the leader and saluted him. The latter welcomed him and said, ‘What seekest thou?’ ‘O my uncle,’ replied Ali, ‘I see thee alone with forty mule-loads of goods; but why hast thou not brought men to help thee?’ ‘O my son,’ rejoined the other, ‘I hired two lads and clothed them and put in each one’s pocket two hundred dinars; and they helped me till we came to the Dervishes’ Convent, when they ran away.’ Quoth Ali, ‘Whither are you bound?’ ‘To Aleppo,’ answered the Syrian, and Ali said, ‘I will help thee.’ So they loaded the beasts and the Provost mounted his mule and they set out. The leader rejoiced