Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/324

312 even the king, when he would wash, betaketh himself to the sea.’

When Abousir was certified that there was no bath in the city and that the people knew not the bath nor the fashion thereof, he betook himself to the king’s divan and kissing the earth before him, called down blessings on him and said, ‘I am a stranger and a bath-keeper by trade, and I entered thy city and thought to go to the bath; but found not one therein. How cometh a city of this comely fashion to lack a bath, seeing that the bath is of the goodliest of the delights of this world?’ Quoth the king, ‘What manner of thing is the bath?’ So Abousir proceeded to set forth to him the attributes of the bath, saying, ‘Thy city will not be complete till there be a bath in it.’ ‘Welcome to thee!’ said the king and clad him in a dress that had not its like and gave him a horse and two black and two white slaves and four slave-girls. Moreover he appointed him a furnished house and honoured him yet more abundantly than he had honoured the dyer.

Then he sent builders with him and bade them build him a bath in what place soever should please him. So he took them and went with them through the midst of the city, till he saw a place that pleased him. He pointed it out to the builders and they set to work, under his direction, and wrought till they built him a bath that had not its like. Then he made them paint it, and they painted it on rare wise, so that it was a delight to the beholders; after which Abousir went up to the king and told him that they had made an end of building and decorating the bath, adding, ‘There lacks nought but the furniture.’ The king gave him ten thousand dinars, with which he furnished the bath and ranged the napkins on the cords; and all who passed by the door stared at it and their mind was confounded at its decorations. So the people crowded to this thing, whose like they had