Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/35

17 dinars for it.” I made him no answer, and he said, “A thousand dinars.” But I was silent, whilst he laughed at my silence and said, “Why dost thou not return me an answer?” “Go thy ways,” repeated I and was like to quarrel with him. But he bid thousand after thousand, and I still made him no reply, till he said, “Wilt thou sell it for twenty thousand dinars?”

I still thought he was making mock of me; but the people gathered about me and all of them said to me, “Sell to him, and if he buy not, we will all fall upon him and beat him and put him out of the city.” So I said to him, “Wilt thou buy or dost thou jest?” Quoth he, “Wilt thou sell or dost thou jest?” And I said, “I will sell if thou wilt buy.” Then said he, “I will buy it for thirty thousand dinars: take them and strike the bargain.” And I said to the bystanders, “Bear witness against him.” [Then to him, “I sell to thee,] but on condition that thou acquaint me with the use and virtues of the amulet, for which thou payest all this money.” “Close the bargain,” answered he, “and I will tell thee this.” Quoth I, “I sell to thee.” And he said, “God be witness of that which thou sayst!”

Then he brought out the money and giving it to me, put the amulet in his bosom; after which he said to me, “Art thou content?” “Yes,” answered I, and he said to the people, “Bear witness against him that he hath closed the bargain and touched the price, thirty thousand dinars.” Then he turned to me and said, “Harkye, good man, hadst thou held back from selling, by Allah, I would have bidden thee up to a hundred thousand dinars, nay, even to a thousand thousand!” When I heard this, O Commander of the Faithful, the blood fled from my face, and from that day there overcame it this paleness that thou seest.

Then said I to him, “Tell me the reason of this and VOL. IX.