Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 2.djvu/67

 The Tale of Ghamm bin Ayyub. 47 the Koranic perlection till nightfall, when the servants set supper and sweetmeats * before them and they ate till they were satisfied ; then they washed their hands and again took their places. But Ghanim's mind was preoccupied with his house and goods, being in fear of robbers, and he said to himself, " I am a stranger here and supposed to have money : if I pass the night abroad the thieves will steal my money-bags and my bales to boot." So when he could no longer control his fear he arose and left the assembly, having first asked leave to go about some urgent business; and following the signs of the road he soon came to the city-gate. But it was midnight and he found the doors locked and saw none going or coming nor heard aught but the hounds baying and the wolves howling. At this he exclaimed, " There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah ! I was in fear for my property and came back on its account, but now I find the gate shut and I am in mortal fear for my life!" Then he turned back and, looking out for a place where he could sleep till morning, pre- sently found a Santon's tomb, a square of four walls with a date- tree in the central court and a granite gateway. The door was wide open; so he entered and would fain have slept, but sleep came not to him ; and terror and a sense of desolation oppressed him, for that he was alone amidst the tombs. So he rose to his feet and, opening the door, looked out and lo ! he was ware of a light afar off in the direction of the city-gate ; then walking a little way towards it, he saw that it was on the road whereby he had reached the tomb. This made him fear for his life, so he hastily shut the door and climbed to the top of the date-tree where he hid himself in the heart of the fronds. The light came nearer and nearer till it was close to the tomb ; then it stopped and he saw three slaves, two bearing a chest and one with a lanthorn, an adze and a basket containing some mortar. When they reached the tomb, one of those who were carrying the case said, " What aileth thee O Sawab?"; and said the other, "What is the matter O Kdfur?" 2 Quoth he, "Were we not here at supper-tide and did we not leave the door open?" "Yes," replied the other, "that is true." " See," said Kafur, " now it is shut and barred." " How weak are your wits ! " cried the third who bore the adze and his Arab. * Halwa " made of sugar, cream, almonds, etc. That of Maskat is famous throughout the East. i.e. " Camphor " to a negro as we say " Snowball," by the figure antipbrase.