Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/358

330 a vase of sherbet of sugar, mingled with rose-water, and he took it and drank it off and left not a single drop. Moreover, he passed his finger round the inside of the vessel and would have licked it, but she forbade him, saying, ‘That is ill.’ Quoth he, ‘Hold thy peace: this is nought but good honey;’ and she laughed at him and set before him a tray of meats, whereof he ate his fill. Then they brought an ewer and basin of gold, and he washed his hands and abode in all delight of life and worship.

Meanwhile, when the Commander of the Faithful came back from his journey and found not Cout el Culoub, he questioned the Lady Zubeideh of her and she said, ‘She is dead, may thy head live, O Commander of the Faithful!’ Now she had let dig a grave amiddleward the palace and built over it a mock tomb, of her knowledge of the love the Khalif bore to Cout el Culoub. So she said to him, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, I made her a tomb amiddleward the palace and buried her there.’ Then she donned black, leasing-wise, and feigned mourning a great while.

Now Cout el Culoub knew that the Khalif was come back from his journey; so she turned to Khelif and said to him, ‘Arise; go to the bath and come back.’ So he arose and went to the bath, and when he returned, she clad him in a dress worth a thousand dinars and taught him manners and the rules of good breeding. Then said she to him, ‘Go hence to the Khalif and say to him, “O Commander of the Faithful, it is my desire that thou be my guest this night.”’

So Khelif arose and mounting his mule, rode, with slaves and servants before him, till he came to the palace of the Khalifate. Quoth the wise, ‘Clothe a stick with generosity [and it will become generous].’ And indeed