Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/133



And quoth a third,

My friend I prithee tell me, neath the sky * Is aught with Egypts Pyramids can compare? Buildings which frighten Time, albe what dwells * On back of earth in fear of Time must fare: If on their marvels rest my sight no more, * Yet these I ever shall in memory bear.

And quoth a fourth,

Where is the man who built the Pyramids? *         What was his tribe, what day and where his tomb? The monuments survive the men who built * Awhile, till overthrown by touch of Doom.

And men also tell a tale of THE THIEF AND THE MERCHANT

There was once a thief who repented to Almighty Allah with sincere penitence; so he opened himself a shop for the sale of stuffs, where he continued to trade awhile. It so chanced one day that he locked his shop and went home, and in the night there came to the bazar an artful thief disguised in the habit of the merchant, and pulling out keys from his sleeve, said to the watchman of the market, Light me this wax-candle.  The watchman took the taper and went to light it, -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the watchman took the taper and went to light it, whilst the thief opened the shop and lit another candle he had by him. When the watchman came back, he found him seated in the shop, account-books inhand, and reckoning with his fingers; nor did he cease to do thus till point of day, when he said to the man, Fetch me a camel-driver and his camel, to carry some goods for me.  So the