Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/218

190 land to land and city to city, till I came to this city, the name whereof is Ikhtiyan el Khuten. I found its people kindly and hospitable folk, trusting in the poor man and giving him credit and believing all that he said. So I said to them, “I am a merchant and have foregone my baggage and I need a place wherein to bestow it.” And they believed me and assigned me a lodging. Then I said to them, “Is there any of you will lend me a thousand dinars, till my baggage arrives, when I will repay it to him? For I am in want of certain things, ere my goods come.” They gave me what I asked and I went to the merchants’ bazaar, where, seeing goods, I bought them and sold them next day at a profit of fifty dinars and bought others. Moreover, I consorted with the folk and entreated them liberally, so that they loved me, and I continued to buy and sell, till I grew rich. And know, O my brother, that the proverb says, “The world is made up of ostentation and trickery: and the land where none knoweth thee, there do whatsoever thou wilt.” If thou say to all who ask thee, “I am a poor man, a cobbler by trade, and fled from my wife and left Cairo yesterday,” they will not believe thee and thou wilt be a laughing-stock among them as long as thou abidest in the city; whilst, if thou say, “An Afrit brought me hither,” they will take fright at thee and none will come near thee; for they will say, “This man is possessed of an Afrit and harm will betide whoso approacheth him.” And this report will be dishonouring both to thee and to me, for that they know I come from Cairo.’

‘How then shall I do?’ asked Marouf. ‘I will tell thee how thou shalt do,’ answered Ali, ‘so it please God the Most High. To-morrow I will give thee a thousand dinars and a mule to ride and a black slave, who shall go before thee and bring thee to the gate of the merchants’ bazaar;