Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/201

175 land be pleasant to us and we will subdue the people and attain our desire.’ ‘Thou counsellest well, O my brother,’ answered Mensour and they agreed upon this thing.

So Nasir made an entertainment and said to Abdallah, ‘O my brother, verily I am thy brother, and I would have thee and my brother Mensour heal my heart and eat of my guest-meal in my house, so I may glory in thee and that it may be said, “The Amir Abdallah hath eaten of his brother Nasir’s guest-meal;” whereby my heart will be solaced.’ ‘So be it, O my brother,’ answered Abdallah. ‘There is no distinction between me and thee, and my house is thy house; but since thou biddest me, none refuseth hospitality save the churl.’ Then he turned to Mensour and said to him, ‘Wilt thou go with me to thy brother Nasir’s house and eat of his guest-meal and ease his heart?’ ‘As thy head liveth, O my brother,’ replied Mensour, ‘I will not go with thee, except thou swear to me that, after thou comest forth of my brother Nasir’s house, thou wilt enter my house and eat of my banquet! Is Nasir thy brother and am not I thy brother? So, even as thou healest his heart, do thou heal mine.’ ‘With all my heart,’ answered Abdallah. ‘When I come out from Nasir’s house, I will enter thine, for thou art my brother even as he.’ So Nasir kissed his hand and going forth of the divan, made ready his banquet.

On the morrow, Abdallah took horse and repaired, with his brother Mensour and a company of his officers, to Nasir’s house, where they sat down, he and Mensour and his company. Then Nasir set the table of food before them and bade them welcome; so they ate and drank; after which the tray and the platters were removed and they washed their hands. They passed the day in eating and drinking and merry-making and good cheer till nightfall, when they supped and prayed the prayers of sundown