Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/327

297 said, ‘Others than thou have gone about with my father to get the robe, but could not compass it: so put away this thought from thee.’ But he answered, saying, ‘Needs must I have it, and thy father must become a Muslim; or I will kill him.’

Then said the Jew, ‘See, O my daughter, how this unlucky fellow seeks his own destruction. But I will turn him into a dog.’ So he took a cup graven with characters and full of water and conjuring over it, sprinkled Ali therefrom, saying, ‘Take the form of a dog.’ Whereupon he straightway became a dog, and the Jew and his daughter drank together till the morning, when the former laid up the robe and tray and mounted his mule. Then he conjured over the dog, which followed him, as he rode towards the town, and all the dogs barked at Ali, as he passed, till he came to the shop of a broker, who rose and drove away the dogs, and Ali lay down before him. The Jew turned and looked for him, but finding him not, [rode on].

Presently, the broker shut up his shop and went home, followed by the dog. When his daughter saw the dog enter the house, she veiled her face and said, ‘O my father, why dost thou bring a strange man in to me?’ ‘O my daughter,’ answered the broker, ‘this is a dog.’ ‘Not so,’ quoth she, ‘it is Ali of Cairo, whom the Jew Azariah hath enchanted.’ And she turned to the dog and said to him, ‘Art thou not Ali of Cairo?’ And he signed to her with his head, as who should say, ‘Yes.’ Then said her father to her, ‘Why did the Jew enchant him?’ And she answered, ‘Because of his daughter Kemer’s robe; but I can release him.’ ‘If thou canst indeed do him this good office,’ said the broker, ‘now is the time.’ Quoth she, ‘If he will marry me, I will release him.’ And he signed to her with his head, as who should say, ‘Yes.’ So she took a cup of water, graven with certain signs and characters, and conjuring over it, [was about to sprinkle Ali therewith,]