Page:Three crump twin-brothers of Damascus.pdf/20

 20 HISTORY OF THE THREE them? Ah, my lord, replied Nohoud, he was half drunk when I employed him; and beſides, my huſband and his brothers reſemble one another ſo perfectly, that if they were dreſſed in the ſame clothes, I hardly think I myſelf could be able to diſtinguiſh one from the other. That would be pleaſant, indeed, ſaid the Caliph, clapping his bands; I ſhould be glad to be spectator of ſuch an interview. This was the ſignal Watik-billah was to give for the crumps to appear. The pieces of hang- ing were immediately pulled up, and the cutlereſs was ready to die with fear at the fight. O heav- en ! cried ſhe, what a prodigy is this! do the dead come again to life? is this an illuſſion, my lord, and are my eyes faithful teſtimonies of what I ſee? You ſee right, replied Watik-billah; one of theſe three is your huſband, and the other two are his brothers; you muſt chooſe out your own from among them. View them well; but I for- bid them, upon pain of death, to ſpeak or make the leaſt ſign. Nohoud, in the utmoſt perplexity, examined them one after another; he could not diftinguiſh her huſband : and the Caliph, who was as much at a loſs to know them as ſhe, ordered him of the three that was Babekan to come and embrace his wife, was very much ſurpriſed to ſee the three crumps all at once throw their arms round her neck, and each of them affirm himſelf to be her huſband. Ibad and Syahouk were not ignorant that they were in the preſence of the ſovereign commander of the faithful ; but whatever reſpect they owed him they thought they could not be revenged of Babekan better, than by trying to paſs for him ; and this latter got nothing by his rage and paſſion for