第76章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

'Presently，'answered the Vizier and called to his mensaying'Bring the camels.'So they struck camp and the Vizier caused Bedreddin to be put into a chestwhich they locked and set on a camel. Then they departed and journeyed till nightfallwhen they halted to eat and took Bedreddin out of his chest and fed him and locked him up again. Then they set out again and travelled till they reached Kumrehwhere they took him out of the chest and brought him before the Vizierwho said to him'Art thou he who made the mess of pomegranate-seed？'YesO my lord，'answered he；and Shemseddin said'Shackle him.'So they shackled him and returned him to the chest and fared on againtill they arrived at Cairo and halted in the suburb of Er Reidaniyeh. Then the Vizier commanded to take Bedreddin out of his chest and sent for a carpenterto whom he said'Make a cross of wood for this fellow.'Quoth Bedreddin'What wilt thou do with it？'I mean to nail thee upon it，'replied the Vizier'and parade thee throughout the city.'And why wilt thou use me thus？ asked Bedreddin；and the Vizier answered'Because of thy villainous mess of pomegranate-seed and for that it lacked pepper.'And because it lacked pepper，'said Bedreddin'wilt thou do all this to me？ Is it not enough that thou hast laid my shop in ruins and smashed my gear and imprisoned me and fed me but once a day？'It lacked pepper，'answered the Vizier；'and nothing less than death is thy desert.'At this Bedreddin wondered and mourned for himselftill the Vizier said to him'Of what art thou thinking？'I was thinking of crack-brains like unto thee，'answered Bedreddin'for hadst thou any sensethou wouldst not treat me thus.'Quoth the Vizier'It behoves me to punish thee，lest thou do the like again.'And Bedreddin said'Verilymy offence were over-punished by the least of what thou hast already done to me.'It avails not，'answered Shemseddin；'I must crucify thee.'All this time the carpenter was shaping the cross，whilst Bedreddin looked on；and thus they did till nightfall，when the Vizier took him and clapped him in the chestsaying，'The thing shall be done tomorrow.'Then he waited till he knew Bedreddin to be asleepwhen he mounted and taking the chest up before himrode into the town to his own housewhere he alighted and said to his daughterthe Lady of Beauty'Praised be God who hath reunited thee with thy cousin！Arise and order the house as it was on thy wedding-night.'So the servants arose and lit the candleswhilst the Vizier took out his plan of the bride chamber and directed them what to dotill they had set everything in its placeso that whoever saw it would not doubt but it was the very night of the wedding. Then he made them lay Bedreddin's turban on the stoolwhere he had left itand his trousers and purse under the mattressand bade his daughter undress herself and go to bedas on the wedding-nightadding，'When he comes in to theesay to him'Thou has tarried long in the wardrobe，'and call him to lie with thee and hold him in converse till the morningwhen we will explain the whole matter to him.'Then he took Bedreddin out of the chest and laid him in the vestibuleafter he had unbound him and taken off his clothesleaving him in a shirt of fine silkand he still asleep and knowing nothing. Presently he turned over and awokeand finding himself in a lighted vestibulesaid to himself'Surely，I am dreaming.'Then he rose and opening the inner doorfound himself in the chamberwhere he had passed his wedding-night，and knew the alcove and the stool by the bed-sidewith his turban and clothes. When he saw thishe was confounded and advanced one foot and drew the other backsaying'Am I asleep or awake？'And he began to rub his forehead and saywondering，'By Allahthis is the chamber of the bride that was unveiled before me！But where can I be？ I was surely but now in a chest.'

Whilst he was debating with himselfthe Lady of Beauty lifted the curtain of the alcove and said to him'O my lordwilt thou not come in？ Thou hast tarried long in the wardrobe.'When he heard what she said and saw her facehe laughed and said'This is certainly an imbroglio of dreams！'Then he enteredsighing，and recalled what had happened and was perplexedand his affair became confused to him and he knew not what to think. Presently，he caught sight of his turban and trousersso he handled the latter and feeling the purse of a thousand dinarssaid'God alone is all knowing！I am certainly in the mazes of a dream.'

Then said the Lady of Beauty to him'What ails thee to stand agape and seem perplexed？ Thou wast not thus the first part of the night.'He laughed and said to her'How long have I been absent from thee？'God preserve thee！'exclaimed she. 'The name of God encompass thee！Thou didst but go out an hour ago to do an occasion and return. Hast thou lost thy wits？'When Bedreddin heard thishe laughed and said'Thou art right；but when I went out from theeI forgot myself in the closet and dozed and dreamt that I was a cook in Damascus and abode there twelve years and that there came to me a boythe son of some great manand with him an eunuch.'Here he put his hand to his forehead and feeling the scar made by the stonesaid'By AllahO ladyit must have been truefor here is the scar made by the stonewith which he smote me and cut my forehead open. So it would seem as if it had really happened. But perhaps I dreamt itwhen we embraced and fell asleep together： for meseemed I journeyed to Damascus without turban or drawers and set up as a cook there.'Then he was perplexed and considered awhile and said'By AllahI fancied also that I made a mess of pomegranate-seed and put too little pepper in it. By AllahI must have slept in the closet and dreamt all this！'God on thee，'said the Lady of Beauty，'tell me what else thou didst dream.'By Allah，'replied he，'had I not woke upthey would have nailed me to a cross of wood！'Wherefore？'asked she；and he said'Because of the lack of pepper in the pomegranate-seed. Meseemed they demolished my shop and broke my utensils in pieces and put me in a chest；then they sent for a carpenter to make a cross and would have crucified me thereon.