Page:Three crump twin-brothers of Damascus.pdf/19

 CRUMP TWIN-BROTHERS. 19 at the ſight of his brothers, who were laid upon ſopha's. He almoſt cracked his eye-ſtrings with ſtaring at them, and could not poſſibly conceive how he came into that ſtrange place with them. He ſuffered himlelf to be undreſſed without utter- ing a ſingle word, while the same: was done to Ibad and Syahouk. The Caliph having cauſed the three crumps to be carried into different chambers, had them put to bed and locked up. Then he ſent away the fiſherman, and having ordered the Viziar to keep the porter, and to uſe him with great kindneſs, he prepared to divert himſelf at the expence of the crooked brothers and the coutler woman, whom he arreſted next morning by the break of day. To heighten his diverſion, the Caliph cauſed to be made that night two fuiry of clothes ex- actly like that which Babekan wore when he was thrown into the Tigris. He ordered them to be put upon Ibad and Syahouk, whoſe drunken fit was quite over, and being a diffredt exactly like, he placed their behind three different pieces of hanging in a magnificent ball of the palace, and gave orders that they ſhould be discovered upon his making a certain ſign. The Viziar, who, with the poster and ſeveral guards, had been early in the morning to artit the cutler's wife, brought her into the hall, where the Caliph was already placed upon his threre He examined her with relation to what paſſed be tween her and the porter. She told him all that had happened without concealing a title of the truth, and ſeemed very much concerned at the loſs of her husband. But, ſaid the Caliph, is not this a made ſtory that you tell me? how is it poſ- ſible theſe three crooked brothers ſhould be ſo ex- actly alike that the porter ſhould be deceived by them?