Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/252

220 the ring, whereupon the genie appeared and he said to him, ‘Bring me a hundred suits of apparel, with their ornaments of gold.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Aboussaadat and brought him the hundred suits, each with its ornaments within it. Marouf took them and called the slave-girls, who came to him, and he gave them each a suit. They donned them and became like unto the black-eyed girls of Paradise, whilst the princess shone amongst them as the moon among the stars. One of them told the king of this and he came in to his daughter and saw her and her women [thus splendidly arrayed and] dazzling all who beheld them; whereat he wondered exceedingly.

Then he went out and calling his vizier, said to him, ‘O vizier, such and such things have happened; what sayst thou [now] of this affair?’ ‘O king of the age,’ answered he, ‘this is no merchant’s fashion; for a merchant keepeth a piece of linen by him for years and selleth it not but at a profit. How should a merchant have such generosity as this and whence should he get the like of these riches and jewels, whereof but a small matter is found with kings? So how should loads thereof be found with merchants? Needs must there be a cause for this; but, if thou wilt hearken to me, I will make the truth of the case manifest to thee.’ ‘O vizier,’ answered the king, ‘I will do thy bidding.’ ‘Then,’ rejoined the vizier, ‘do thou foregather with thy son-in-law and make a show of love to him and talk with him and say, “O my son-in-law, I have a mind to go, thou and I and the vizier, no more, to a garden, that we may take our pleasure there.” When we come to the garden, we will set on the table of wine, and I will ply him therewith and make him drink, will he, nill he; for, when he shall have drunken, he will lose his reason and his judgment will forsake him. Then will we question him of the truth of his case and he