Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/62

42 So the Vizier stood in a respectful attitude, whilst the Marid went up into the palace and said to Jouder, ‘Know, O my lord, that the King sent to thee an Amir and fifty men, and I beat them and drove them away. Then he sent a hundred men and I beat them also; then two hundred, and these also I put to the rout. And now he hath sent thee the Vizier, unarmed, bidding thee to visit him and eat of his banquet. What sayst thou?’ ‘Go,’ answered Jouder; ‘bring the Vizier hither.’ So the Marid went down and said to him, ‘O Vizier, come speak with my lord.’ ‘On my head be it,’ replied he and going in to Jouder, found him seated, in greater state than the King, upon a carpet, the like of which the King could not spread, and was amazed at the goodliness of the palace and the magnificence of its furniture and decoration, which made him seem as he were but a beggar in comparison.

So he kissed the earth before Jouder and called down blessings on him; and Jouder said to him, ‘What is thy business, O Vizier?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered he, ‘thy friend King Shems ed Dauleh salutes thee and longs to look upon thy face; wherefore he hath made thee an entertainment. So wilt thou heal his heart [and eat of his banquet]?’ Quoth Jouder, ‘If he be indeed my friend, salute him and bid him come to me.’ ‘On my head be it,’ replied the Vizier. Then Jouder rubbed the ring and bade the genie bring him a dress of the best, which he gave to the Vizier, saying, ‘Don this dress and go tell the King what I say,’ So the Vizier donned the dress, the like of which he had never worn, and returning to the King, told him what had passed and praised the palace and that which was therein, saying, ‘Jouder bids thee to him.’ So the King called for his charger and mounting with all his guards, set out for Jouder’s palace.

Meanwhile Jouder summoned the Marid and said to him, ‘It is my will that thou bring me some of the Afrits at thy command in the guise of guards and station them