Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/105

93 And quoth he likewise of his yard:

And again quoth he thereof:

When the old merchant heard this scurvy gibing from the damsel, he was exceeding wroth and said to the broker, ‘O unluckiest of brokers, thou hast not brought this ill-conditioned wench into the market but to flout me and make mock of me before the merchants.’ Then the broker took her aside and said to her, ‘O my lady, be not lacking in manners. The old man whom thou didst mock at is the syndic of the bazaar and inspector of weights and measures thereof and one of the council of the merchants.’ But she laughed and said:

By Allah, O my lord,’ added she, ‘I will not be sold to yonder old man; so sell me to other than him, for belike he will be abashed at me and sell me again and I shall become a servant and it beseems not that I sully myself with menial service; and indeed thou knowest that the matter of my sale is committed to myself.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered he and carried her to one of the chief merchants. ‘How sayst thou, O my lady?’ asked he. ‘Shall I sell thee to my lord Sherifeddin here for nine