Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/39

21 servant, “Bring in thy lord.” So I entered, and when she saw me, she fell down in a swoon, and presently coming to herself, recited the following verse:

Then she sat up and said, “By Allah, O my lord, I had not thought to see thy face again, but if it were in sleep!” And she embraced me and wept. Then said she, “O father mine, now will I eat and drink.” The old man rejoiced in this and brought her meat and drink and we ate and drank. After this, I abode with them awhile, till she was restored to her former beauty, when her father sent for the Cadi and the witnesses and let draw up the contract of marriage between her and me and made a great bride-feast; and she is my wife to this day and this is my son by her.”her.’ [sic] So saying, he went away and returned with a boy of marvellous beauty and symmetry, to whom said he, ‘Kiss the earth before the Commander of the Faithful.’ So he kissed the earth before the Khalif, who marvelled at his beauty and glorified his Creator; after which he departed with his company, saying to the vizier, ‘O Jaafer, verily this is none other than a marvellous thing, never heard I of aught more extraordinary.’

When he was seated in the palace of the Khalifate, he said to Mesrour, ‘Bring the year’s tribute of Bassora and Baghdad and Khorassan and lay it in this recess.’ So he laid the three tributes together and they were a vast sum of money, whose tale none might tell save God. Then the Khalif bade draw a curtain before the recess and said to Jaafer, ‘Fetch me Aboulhusn.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied Jaafer and going forth, returned presently with the Omani, who kissed the ground before the Khalif, fearing lest he had sent for him, because of some fault