Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/220

192 Then Ali helped him to dismount and saluted him; after which he took the merchants apart, one after another, and vaunted Marouf to them. ‘Is this man a merchant?’ asked they. ‘Yes,’ answered he; ‘and indeed he is the chiefest of merchants, there lives not a wealthier than he; for his wealth and that of his father and forefathers are notorious among the merchants of Cairo. He hath partners in Hind and Sind and Yemen and is high in repute for generosity. So know ye his rank and make much of him and do him service, and know also that his coming hither is not for the sake of traffic, but to divert himself with the sight of foreign countries; for he hath no need to travel for the sake of gain and profit, having wealth that fires cannot consume, and I am one of his servants.’ And he went on to extol him, till they set him above their heads and began to tell one another of his qualities.

Then they came round about him and offered him pastry and sherbets, and even the Provost of the Merchants came to him and saluted him; whilst Ali proceeded to say to him, in the presence of the merchants, ‘O my lord, belike thou hast brought with thee somewhat of such and such a stuff?’ And Marouf answered, ‘Abundance.’ Now Ali had that day shown him various kinds of costly stuffs and had taught him the names of the different stuffs, cheap and dear. Then said one of the merchants, ‘O my lord, hast thou brought with thee yellow cloth?’ And Marouf said, ‘Abundance.’ ‘And gazelles’ blood red?’ asked the other. ‘Abundance,’ replied the cobbler; and as often as he asked him of aught, he made him the same answer. So the other said, ‘O merchant Ali, [methinks]