Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/355

327 they, ‘What is to do with thee now?’ And he answered, ‘The Afrits in the chest say, “We are hungry.”’ Quoth the neighbours to each other, ‘It would seem Khelif is hungry; let us feed him and give him of what is left from the evening meal;evening-meal; [sic] else he will not let us sleep to-night.’ So they brought him bread and meat and dates and radishes and gave him a basket full of all kinds of things, saying, ‘Eat thy fill and go to sleep and talk not, else will we break thy ribs and beat thee to death.’ So he took the basket and entering his lodging, sat down on the chest and fell to eating of the food with both hands.

Now it was a moonlight night and the moon shone full upon the chest and lit up the chamber. Presently Cout el Culoub spoke again and said, ‘Have pity on me, O Muslims, and open to me!’ So Khelif arose and taking a stone he had with him, broke open the chest and beheld therein a young lady as she were the shining sun, with flower-white forehead, moon-bright face, red cheeks and speech sweeter than sugar, clad in a dress worth a thousand dinars and more. At this sight he was transported for joy and said, ‘By Allah, thou art of the fair!’ Quoth she, ‘What art thou, O fellow?’ and he answered, ‘I am Khelif the fisherman.’ ‘Who brought me hither?’ asked she, and he said, ‘I bought thee, and thou art my slave-girl.’ Quoth she, ‘I see on thee a gown of the raiment of the Khalif. [Whence hadst thou it?]’

So he told her all that had betided him, from first to last, and how he had bought the chest; wherefore she knew that the Lady Zubeideh had played her false; and she ceased not to talk with him till the morning, when she said to him, ‘O Khelif, look [thou get] me from some one inkhorn and pen and paper and bring them to me.’ [sic] So he found what she sought with one of the neighbours and brought it to her, whereupon she wrote a letter and folded it and gave it to him, saying, ‘O Khelif, take this