Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/37

19 O my son! Come, that I may greet thee!” But do thou say to her, “Hold off from me and put off thy clothes.” And she will make answer, “O my son, I am thy mother that suckled thee and brought thee up: how then wouldst thou strip me naked?” Then do thou say, “Except thou put off thy clothes, I will kill thee!” and look to thy right, where thou wilt see a sword hanging up. Take it and draw it upon her, saying, “Strip!” whereupon she will wheedle thee and humble herself to thee; but have thou no pity on her nor be beguiled, and as often as she puts off aught, say to her, “Off with the rest!” nor do thou cease to threaten her with death, till she put off all that is upon her and fall down, when the enchantment will be dissolved and the charms undone, and thou wilt be safe.

Then enter the hall of the treasure, where thou wilt see the gold lying in heaps; but pay no heed to aught thereof and go on to the upper end of the hall, where thou wilt find a niche, with a curtain drawn before it. Draw back the curtain and thou wilt see the enchanter Es Shemerdel lying upon a couch of gold, with something at his head, round and shining like the moon, which is the celestial planisphere. He is girt with the sword; on his finger is the ring and about his neck is a chain, to which hangs the kohl-pot. Bring me the four talismans, and look thou forget not aught of that which I have told thee, or thou wilt repent and be put to fear.’ And he repeated his directions to Jouder a second and a third and a fourth time, till he said, ‘I have them by heart: but who may face all these enchantments that thou namest and endure against these mighty terrors?’ ‘O Jouder,’ replied the Moor, ‘fear not, for they are semblances without life;’ and he went on to hearten him, till he said, ‘I put my trust in God.’

Then Abdussemed threw perfumes on the chafing-dish, and addressed himself to reciting conjurations. Presently