Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/148

128 emptied for the purpose, and locked it upon him. Moreover, he emptied another chest and laying therein all Hassan’s valuables, together with the ingot of gold [and the price of that which he had sold], locked it.

Then he ran to the market and fetching a porter, took up the two chests and made off with them without the city, where he set them down on the sea-shore, hard by a vessel at anchor there. Now this vessel was freighted by the Persian and her captain was awaiting him; so, when the sailors saw him, they came to him and carried the chests on board. Then the Persian called out to the captain, saying, ‘Up and let us begone, for I have done my errand and compassed my desire.’ So the captain cried out to the crew, saying, ‘Weigh anchor and set sail!’ And the ship put out to sea with a fair wind.

Meanwhile, Hassan’s mother awaited him till nightfall, but heard neither sound nor news of him; so she went to the house and finding it open, entered and saw none therein and missed the chests and valuables; wherefore she knew that her son was lost and that destiny had overtaken him and buffeted her face and tore her clothes, crying out and lamenting and saying, ‘Alas, my son! Alas, the fruit of my entrails!’ And she recited the following verses: