Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/312

 He desireth aught, saith to it, 'Be,' and it becometh; [FN#493] so that I journeyed with her in safety to Meccah, where she made a home hard by the Holy House of Allah and lived seven years; till the appointed day of her death. The earth of Meccah was her tomb, and never saw I any more steadfast in prayer and fasting than she; Allah send down upon her His mercies and have compassion on him who saith,

'When they to me had brought the leach (and surely showed * The signs of flowing tears and pining malady), The face-veil he withdrew from me, and 'neath it naught * Save breath of one unsouled, unbodied, could he see. Quoth he, 'This be a sickness Love alone shall cure; * Love hath a secret from all guess of man wide free.' Quoth they, 'An folk ignore what here there be with him * Nature of ill and eke its symptomology, How then shall medicine work a cure?' At this quoth I * 'Leave me alone; I have no guessing specialty.'"

And they tell a tale of THE PROPHET AND THE JUSTICE OF PROVIDENCE.

A certain Prophet [FN#494] made his home for worship on a lofty mountain, at whose foot was a spring of running water, and he was wont to sit by day on the summit, that no man might see him, calling upon the name of Allah the Most Highest and watching those who frequented the spring. One day, as he sat looking upon the fountain, behold, he espied a horseman who came up and dismounted thereby and taking a bag from his neck, set it down beside him, after which he drank of the water and rested awhile, then he rode away, leaving behind him the bag which contained gold pieces. Presently up came another man to drink of the spring, who saw