Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/300

272 ed Denef’s lodging; but none would direct him thereto. So he walked on, till he came to a square called En Nefz, where he saw children at play, and amongst them a lad called Ahmed el Lekit, and said to himself, ‘Thou shalt not get news of them but of their little ones.’ Then he turned and seeing a sweetmeat-seller, bought cakes of him and called to the children; but Ahmed el Lekit drove the rest away and coming up to him, said, ‘What seekest thou?’ Quoth Ali, ‘I had a son and he died and I saw him in a dream asking for sweetmeats: wherefore I have bought sweetmeats and wish to give each child some.’ So saying, he gave Ahmed a cake, and he looked at it and seeing a dinar sticking to it, said, ‘Begone! I am no catamite: seek another than I.’ ‘O my son,’ answered Ali, ‘it is a sharp fellow who takes the hire, even as is he who gives it. I have sought all day for Ahmed ed Denef’s barrack, but none would direct me thereto; so the dinar is thine, if thou wilt guide me thither.’ Quoth the lad, ‘I will run before thee, till I come to the place, when I will catch up a stone with my foot and kick it against the door; and so shalt thou know it.’

So he ran on and Ali after him, till they came to the place, when the boy caught up a pebble and kicked it against the door. Ali laid hold of him and would have taken the dinar from him, but could not; so he said to him, ‘Go: thou deservest liberality, for thou art a sharp fellow, whole of wit and stout. God willing, if I become captain to the Khalif, I will make thee one of my lads.’ Then the boy made off and Ali went up to the door and knocked; whereupon quoth Ahmed ed Denef to the doorkeeper, ‘Open the door; that is the knock of Quicksilver Ali.’