Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/146

126 her go to one of the neighbours’ houses. So she left the house to them and went her way, whereupon Hassan brought in the Persian.

Then he took a dish and going to the market, returned with food, which he set before the Persian, saying, ‘Eat, O my lord, that there may be bread and salt between us, and may God the Most High do vengeance upon him who is unfaithful to the bond of bread and salt!’ The Persian smiled and answered, ‘True, O my son! Who knoweth the virtue of bread and salt?’ Then he came forward and ate with Hassan, till they were satisfied; after which, ‘O my son Hassan,’ said he, ‘bring us some sweetmeats.’ So Hassan went to the market, rejoicing in his words, and returned with ten saucers of sweetmeats, of which they both ate and the PersainPersian [sic] said, ‘May God abundantly requite thee, O my son! It is the like of thee with whom folk company and to whom they discover their secrets and teach what may profit him!’ Then said he, ‘O Hassan, bring the gear.’

No sooner did Hassan hear this than he went forth, like a colt let out to grass in the Spring, and hastening to the shop, fetched the gear and set it before the Persian, who pulled out a paper and said, ‘O Hassan, wert thou not dearer to me than my son, I would not let thee into this mystery, for I have none of the elixir left save what is in this paper; but by and by I will bring the ingredients whereof it is composed and make it before thee and teach thee its fashion; and do thou observe, when I compound the simples and lay them before thee. Know, O my son Hassan, that thou must lay to every ten pounds of copper half a drachm of that which is in this paper, and the whole will presently become virgin gold without alloy. There are in this paper three ounces, Egyptian measure, and when it is spent, I will make thee more.’ Hassan took the packet and finding therein a yellow powder, finer