Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/215

187 at his dress, for it was unlike theirs. Presently, one of them said to him, ‘O man, art thou a stranger?’ And he answered, ‘Yes.’ ‘What countryman art thou?’ asked the other; and Marouf said, ‘I am from the city of Cairo the Happy.’ Quoth the townsman, ‘And when didst thou leave Cairo?’ ‘I left it yesterday,’ answered Marouf, ‘at the hour of afternoon-prayer.’ Whereupon the man laughed at him and cried out, saying, ‘Come hither, O folk, and look at this man and hear what he says!’ Quoth they, ‘What does he say?’ ‘He pretends,’ replied the other, ‘that he comes from Cairo and left it yesterday at the hour of afternoon-prayer!’ At this they all laughed and gathering round Marouf, said to him, ‘O man, art thou mad to talk thus? How canst thou pretend that thou leftest Cairo at mid-afternoon yesterday and foundest thyself this morning here, seeing that between our city and Cairo is a full year’s journey?’ Quoth he, ‘None is mad but you. As for me, I speak sooth, for here is bread that I brought with me from Cairo, and see, it is yet fresh.’ Then he showed them the bread and they stared at it and marvelled at it, for it was unlike their country bread.

The crowd increased about him and they said to each other, ‘This is Cairo bread: look at it.’ So he became a gazing stock in the city and some believed him, whilst others gave him the lie and made mock of him. Presently, up came a merchant, riding on a mule and followed by two black slaves, and pressed through the people, saying, ‘O folk, are ye not ashamed to mob this foreigner and make mock of him and laugh at him?’ And he went on to rate them, till he drove them away from Marouf, and none could make him any answer. Then he said to Marouf, ‘Come, O my brother. No harm shall betide thee from these folk. Verily they have no shame.’ So he took him and carrying him to a spacious and