Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/270

258 Now this merchant was a great eater; and the thief, seeing this, said to himself, “I have found my opportunity.” So he turned to his host and said to him, “It behoveth me to give thee an admonition; and after thy kindness to me, I cannot hide it from thee. I see thee to be a great eater and the cause of this is a disorder in thy stomach; so hasten to take order for thy cure, or thine affair will end in perdition.” Quoth the merchant, “My body is sound and my stomach quick of digestion, and though I be a hearty eater, yet is there no disease in me, to God be the praise and the thanks!” “It may so appear unto thee,” rejoined the thief; “but I know thou hast a latent disorder in thy vitals and if thou hearken to me, thou wilt medicine thyself.” “And where shall I find him who knoweth my remedy?” asked the merchant. “God is the Healer,” answered the robber; “but a physician like myself tendeth the sick to the best of his power.” And the other said, “Show me my remedy and give me thereof.” So he gave him a powder, wherein was great plenty of aloes, saying, “Use this to-night.”

When the night came, the merchant tasted the powder and found it nauseous of taste; nevertheless he misdoubted not of it, but swallowed it all and found ease therefrom that night. Next night the thief brought him another powder, wherein was yet more aloes, and he took it. It purged him that night, but he bore with this and rejected it not. When the thief saw that he gave ear unto his word and put trust in him, he brought him a deadly drug and gave it to him. The merchant swallowed it and no sooner had he done this than that which was in his belly fell down and his guts were rent in sunder, and by the morrow he was a dead man; whereupon the thieves came and took all that belonged to him. This,’ added the favourite, ‘I tell thee, O king, but that thou mayst not give ear to these deluders; else will there befall thee that