Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/317

289 took it and going forth, as he had come in, returned to the wedding.

Ali stood awhile at the door, but none opened to him; and at last he gave a thundering knock that awoke all the men and they said, ‘That was Ali of Cairo’s knock.’ So the hall-keeper opened to him and Hassan Shouman said to him, ‘Hast thou brought the purse?’ ‘Enough of jesting, O Shouman,’ replied Ali. ‘Didst thou not swear that thou wouldst not open to me till I showed thee the purse, and did I not give it thee through the hole of the door?’ ‘By Allah,’ said Hassan, ‘it was not I who took it, but Zureic!’ Quoth Ali, ‘Needs must I get it again,’ and repaired to the house of the wedding, where he heard the buffoon say, ‘Largesse, O Abou Abdallah! Good luck to thee with thy son!’ Quoth Ali, ‘My luck is in the ascendant,’ and going to the fishmonger’s house, climbed over the back wall and found his wife asleep. So he drugged her and clad himself in her clothes. Then he took the child in his arms and went round, searching, till he found a basket containing gimblet-cakes, which Zureic, of his niggardliness, had kept from the Feast of the New Moon. Presently, the fishmonger returned and knocked at the door, whereupon Ali imitated his wife’s voice and said, ‘Who is at the door?’ ‘Abou Abdallah,’ answered Zureic, and Ali said, ‘I swore that I would not open the door to thee, except thou broughtest back the purse.’ Quoth the fishmonger, ‘I have brought it.’ ‘Then give it into my hand,’ said Ali, ‘before I open the door;’ and Zureic answered, saying, ‘Let down the basket and take it therein.’ So Ali let down the basket and the other put the purse therein, whereupon Ali took it and drugged the child. Then he aroused the woman and making off by the back way as he had entered, returned with the child and the purse and the basket of cakes to the barrack and showed them all to the forty, who praised his dexterity. Then he VOL. VI.