Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/285

259 Hassan, how didst thou deliver thy wife and children?’ So he told him the story of the cap and the wand, at which he marvelled and said, ‘O Hassan, O my son, but for this wand and cap, thou hadst never delivered thy wife and children.’ And he replied, ‘Even so, O my lord.’

As they were talking, there came a knocking at the door and Abourruweish went out and found Abdulcuddous mounted on his elephant. So he saluted him and brought him into the cavern, where he embraced Hassan and gave him joy of his safety, rejoicing greatly in his return. Then said Abourruweish to Hassan, ‘Tell the Sheikh Abdulcuddous all that hath befallen thee, O Hassan.’ So he repeated to him all that had passed, till he came to the story of the wand and cap, whereupon quoth Abdulcuddous, ‘O my son, thou hast delivered thy wife and thy children and hast no further need of the wand and the cap. Now we were the means of thy winning to the Wac Islands and I have done thee kindness for the sake of the daughters of my brother; wherefore I beg thee, of thy bounty and favour, to give me the wand and the Sheikh Abourruweish the cap.’

When Hassan heard this, he hung down his head, being ashamed to reply, ‘I will not give them to you,’ and said in himself, ‘Indeed, these two elders have done me great kindness and but for them, I had never won to the Wac Islands and delivered my children, nor had I gotten me this wand and cap.’ So he raised his head and answered, ‘Yes, I will give them to you: but, O my lords, I fear lest the Supreme King, my wife’s father, come upon me with his hosts and beset me in my own country, and I be unable to repel them, for want of the wand and the cap.’ ‘Fear not, O my son,’ answered Abdulcuddous; ‘we will succour thee and keep watch for thee in this place and fend off from thee whosoever shall come against thee