Page:Three crump twin brothers of Damascus (3).pdf/15

 with me; but you muſt lend us a hand. Thatman had received too great marks of the Caliph's liberality to make the leaſt ſcruple of obeying him; the Vizier and he took the one Ibad, and the other Syahouk by the feet, and threw them on their ſhoulders, and the Caliph himſelf having ſhouldtered the ſack in which was Babeken, they turned 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 Billah was dropping wet with the water that ran out of the ſack, he ſtopped the porter, and having forced him to eaſe him of his burden, he conducted him to a houſe which adjoined to his palace. There it was that the porter of Bagdad, having, by the words he ſpoke relating to the three crumps, excited the Caliph's curioſity, he deſired him to explain himſelf more clearly upon ſo whimſicals an adventure

Sir, replied the porter, this explanation you require is not ſo eaſily made as you imagine. The more I think of it, the leſs I underſtand it, however, you ſhall have it juſt as I think it happened to me.

Do you know, ſir, ſaid the porter, the cutler's wife that lives at the end of the ſtreet of the jewellers? 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 five or ſix ſlops at her foul chops, for the trick the witch put upon me this right; though I be 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, ſir, that you have before you eyes a great withered old woman, with a ſkin as black as a cried