Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/40

22 that he had committed, whenas he was with him in his house. Then said Er Reshid, ‘Harkye, O Omani!’ and he replied, ‘At thy service, O Commander of the Faithful! May God still bestow his favours upon thee!’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘Draw back yonder curtain.’ So Aboulhusn drew back the curtain from the recess and was confounded at the mass of money he saw there. ‘O Aboulhusn,’ said Er Reshid, ‘whether is the more, this money or that thou didst lose by the amulet ?’ And he answered, ‘This is many times the greater, O Commander of the Faithful!’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘Bear witness, all ye who are present, that I give this money to this young man.’ Aboulhusn kissed the earth and was abashed and wept before the Khalif for excess of joy.

Now, when he wept, the tears ran down upon his cheeks and the blood returned to its place and his face became as it were the moon on the night of its full. Whereupon quoth the Khalif, ‘There is no god but God! Glory be to Him who decreeth change upon change and is Himself the Everlasting One, that changeth not!’ So saying, he fetched a mirror and showed Aboulhusn his face therein, which when he saw, he prostrated himself in gratitude to God the Most High. Then the Khalif bade transport the money to Aboulhusn’s house and charged the latter absent not himself from him, so he might enjoy his company. Accordingly he paid him frequent visits, till Er Reshid was admitted to the mercy of God the Most High; and glory be to Him who dieth not and in whose hand is the dominion of the Seen and the Unseen!