Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/54

36 saw the violence of his fear, he said to him, ‘O my son, come, sit at the threshold of the shop and look upon yonder creatures and upon their dress and favour and that wherein they are by reason of enchantment, and fear not; for the queen and all in the city love and tender me and will not [do aught to] vex my heart or trouble my mind.’ So Bedr came out and sat at the shop-door, looking out upon the folk; and there passed by him creatures without number.

When the people saw him, they accosted the grocer and said to him, ‘O elder, is this thy captive and thy prey that [thou hast gotten] in these [latter] days?’ ‘He is my brother’s son,’ answered the old man. ‘I heard that his father was dead; so I sent for him, that I might quench with him the fire of my longing.’ Quoth they, ‘Indeed he is a comely youth; but we fear for him from Queen Lab, lest she turn on thee with treachery and take him from thee, for she loves handsome young men.’ ‘The queen will not gainsay my commandment,’ answered the grocer, ‘for she loves and tenders me; and when she knows that he is my brother’s son, she will not molest him nor afflict me in him, neither trouble my heart on his account.’ Then Bedr abode some months with the grocer, eating and drinking, and the old man loved him with an exceeding love.

One day, as he sat in the shop, as of his wont, there came up a thousand eunuchs, with drawn swords, mounted upon Arabian horses and clad in various kinds of raiment and girt with jewelled girdles and Indian swords. They saluted the grocer, as they passed, and were followed by a thousand damsels like moons, clad in various raiment of silks and satin, laced with gold and embroidered with jewels, and armed with spears. In their midst rode a young lady, mounted on an Arabian mare, saddled with a saddle of gold, set with various kinds of jewels and