Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/305

277 Ali said, ‘I was asleep and dreamt a dream of dalliance; so I went down to the Tigris to wash myself and dived, whereupon the current carried me under the earth and I came up in this well.’ ‘Tell the truth,’ said the Amir. So Ali told him all that had befallen him, and the Amir gave him an old gown and let him go. He returned to Ahmed ed Denef’s lodging and told him all that had passed. Quoth Ahmed, ‘Did I not tell thee that Baghdad is full of women who play tricks upon men?’ And Ali Kitf el Jemel said, ‘I conjure thee by the Mighty Name, tell me how it is that thou art the chief of the lads of Cairo and yet hast been stripped by a girl?’ This was grievous to Ali and he repented him of not having followed Ahmed’s advice.

Then Ed Denef gave him another suit of clothes and Hassan Shouman said to him, ‘Dost thou know the girl?’ ‘No,’ answered Ali; and Hassan said, ‘It was Zeyneb, the daughter of Delileh the Crafty, the portress of the Khalif’s khan and hast thou fallen into her toils, O Ali?’ ‘Yes,’ replied he; and Hassan said, ‘O Ali, it was she who took thy chief’s clothes and those of all his men.’ Quoth Ali, ‘This is a disgrace to you all.’ Then said Hassan, ‘And what thinkest thou to do?’ And he answered, ‘I purpose to marry her.’ ‘Put away that thought from thee,’ rejoined the other, ‘and console thy heart of her.’ Quoth Ali, ‘O Hassan, do thou counsel me how I shall do to marry her.’ ‘With all my heart,’ replied his comrade. ‘If thou wilt drink from my hand and march under my banner, I will bring thee to thy will of her.’ And Ali answered, saying, ‘I will well.’

So Hassan made him put off his clothes and taking a saucepan, heated therein somewhat as it were pitch, with which he anointed him, and he became like unto a black