Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/204

178 he came to a hermitage, where he saw folk entering with votive offerings and other folk coming forth, rejoicing. The porter went in, till he came to the curtain, and said, ‘Permission, O Sheikheh Rajiheh! Take this sick man.’ Quoth she, ‘Bring him within the curtain.’ And the porter said to Abdallah, ‘Enter.’

So he entered and looking upon the holy woman, saw her to be his very wife whom he had brought from the City of Stone. She also knew him and saluted him and he her. Then said he, ‘Who brought thee hither?’ And she answered, ‘When I saw that thy brothers had cast thee overboard and were contending concerning me, I threw myself into the sea; but my sheikh El Khizr took me up and brought me to this hermitage, where he gave me leave to heal the sick and made proclamation in the city, saying, “Whoso hath any ailment, let him repair to the Sheikheh Rajiheh.” Moreover he said to me, “Abide in this hermitage till the time be accomplished, and thy husband shall come to thee here.” So all the sick used to come to me and I rubbed them and kneaded them and they awoke on the morrow, whole and well. On this wise the report of me became noised abroad among the folk, and they brought me votive gifts, so that I have with me good galore. Moreover, I live here in all honour and worship, and all the people of these parts seek my prayers.’

Then she rubbed him and by the ordinance of God the Most High he became whole. Now El Khizr used to come to her every Friday night, and it chanced that the day of Abdallah’s coming was a Friday. So, when the night darkened, they made the evening mealevening-meal [sic] of the richest meats, he and she, and sat awaiting the coming of El Khizr, who made his appearance anon and carrying them forth of the hermitage, set them down in Abdallah’s