Page:Three crump twin-brothers of Damascus.pdf/15

 CRUTMP TWIN-BROTHERS. 15 with me; but you muſt lend us a hand. That man had received too great marks of the Caliph's liberality to make the leaſt ſcruple of obeying him ; the Viziar and he took the one Ibad, and the o- ther Syahouk by the feet, and threw them on their ſhoulders; and the Caliph himſelf having ſhoul- dered the ſack in which was Babekan, they turn- ed back to go to the palace, when they met the porter, who had a few momentſ before, thrown the three brothers into the Tygris. As Watik-biilah waſ dropping wet with the water that ran out of the lack, he flopped the porter, and having forced him to caſe him of his burden, he conducted him to a houſe which ad- joined to his palace. There it was, that the por- ter of Bagdad, having by the words he ſpoke re- lating to the three cramps, excited the Caliph’s curioſity, he deſired him to explain himſelf more clearly upon ſo whimftcal an adventure. Sir, replied the porter, this expLlrrati' a you required is not ſo e.-if.iy made as you imagine. The more I think of it, the leſs I underſtand it; how- ever, you ſhall have it juſt as I think it happened to me. Do yon know, ſir, ſaid the porter, the cutler’s wife that lives at the end of the ſtreet of the jew- ellers ? No, replied the Caliph. You are no great loſer by the bargain, anſwered the porter; ſhe is the miſchievouſeſt jade in all Bagdad : I would willingly give the two ſequins I am maſter of to have but five or ſix ſlaps at her ſoul chops, for the trick the witch put upon me this night; though I am but poor, I ſhould ſleep the-better for it. This cutler woman then--But ſtay, ſince you do not know her, I will draw you her picture. Imagine, fir, that you have before your eyes a great withered old woman, with a ſkin as black as a. dried neat’s