Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/71

53 story and was willing to sell it to him, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and said, ‘I will give thee the hundred dinars and ten to boot and take it on the conditions of which thou speakest.’ ‘Then go and fetch the money,’ said the old man, ‘and take that thou seekest.’ So the messenger kissed his hands and returned, joyful and happy, to his lodging, where he laid a hundred and ten dinars in a purse he had by him. As soon as it was morning, he put on his clothes and taking the dinars, repaired to the story-teller, whom he found seated at the door of his house. So he saluted him and the other returned his salute. Then he gave him the money and the old man took it and carrying the messenger into his house, made him sit down. Then he set before him inkhorn and pen and paper and giving him a book, said to him, ‘Write out what thou seekest of the story of Seif el Mulouk from this book.’ So the man fell to work and wrote till he had made an end of his copy, when he read it to the old man, and he corrected it and said to him, ‘Know, O my son, that my conditions are that thou tell not this story in the beaten road nor before women and girls nor to black slaves nor feather-heads nor boys; but read it only before kings and amirs and viziers and men of learning, such as expounders [of the Koran] and others.’ The messenger accepted the conditions and kissing the old man’s hand, took leave of him.

Then he set out the same day, glad and joyful, and fared on diligently, of the excess of his contentment, for that he had gotten the story of Seif el Mulouk, till he came to his own country, when he despatched his servant to carry the good news to his master and say to him, ‘Thy servant is come back in safety and hath attained his desire and his aim.’ (Now there wanted but ten days of the term appointed between Hassan and the king.) Then he himself went in to him and told him all that had