Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/65

47 ABOULHUSN OF KHORASSAN.

The Khalif El Mutezid Billah was a high-spirited and noble-minded prince; he had in Baghdad six hundred viziers and no whit of the affairs of the folk was hidden from him. He went forth one day, he and Ibn Hemdoun, to divert himself with observing his subjects and hearing the latest news of the folk, and being overtaken with the heats of noonday, they turned aside from the main thoroughfare into a little by-street, at the upper end whereof they saw a handsome and high-builded house, discoursing of its owner with the tongue of praise. They sat down at the gate to rest, and presently out came two servants, as they were moons on their fourteenth night. Quoth one of them to his fellow, ‘Would some guest would seek admission! My master will not eat but with guests and we are come to this hour and I have seen no one.’

The Khalif marvelled at their speech and said, ‘This is a proof of the hospitality of the master of the house; needs must we go in to him and note his generosity, and this shall be a means of favour betiding him from us.’ So he said to the servant, ‘Ask leave of thy master for the admission of a company of strangers.’ For it was the Khalif’s wont, whenas he was minded to observe his subjects, to disguise himself in a merchant’s habit. The