Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/188

176 So he took counsel with one of his friends, who said to him, ‘Meseems thou canst not do better than sing, thou and thy slave-girl, [for your living]; for on this wise thou wilt get money in plenty and wilt eat and drink.’ But he misliked this, he and the damsel, and she said to him, ‘I have bethought me of a means of relief for thee.’ ‘What is it?’ asked he and she said, ‘Do thou sell me; so shall we win quit of this strait, thou and I, and I shall be in affluence; for none will buy the like of me save a man of fortune, and with this I will contrive for my return to thee.’

So he carried her to the market and the first who saw her was a Hashimi of Bassora, a man of taste and breeding and generosity, who bought her for fifteen hundred dinars. (Quoth the young man, the girl’s owner), When I had received the price, I repented me and wept, I and the damsel; and I sought to cancel the sale; but the purchaser would not consent. So I took the money in a bag, knowing not whither I should go, now my house was desolate of her, and buffeted my face and wept and wailed as I had never done. Then I entered a mosque and sat weeping, till I was stupefied and losing my senses, fell asleep, with the bag of money under my head for a pillow. Presently, before I could be ware, a man pulled the bag from under my head and ran off with it: whereupon I started up in affright and would have run after him; but lo, my feet were bound with a rope and I fell on my face. So I fell a-weeping and buffeting myself, saying, ‘Thy soul hath left thee and thy wealth is lost!’