第13章

tell me and I will buy it： haply，it will thicken mine.' Quoth she，'Enquire for it of the druggists.' So he slept with her that night and arose on the morrow，repenting of having spoken angrily to her； and she also regretted her cross words.Then he went to the market and，finding a druggist，saluted him； and when his salutation was returned said to him，'Say，hast thou with thee a seed-thickener？' He replied，'I had it，but am out of it： enquire thou of my neighbour.' Then Shams al-Din made the round till he had asked every one，but they all laughed at him，and presently he returned to his shop and sat down，sore troubled.Now there was in the bazar a man who was Deputy Syndic of the brokers and was given to the use of opium and electuary and green hashish.[28] He was called Shaykh Mohammed Samsam and being poor he used to wish Shams al-Din good morrow every day.So he came to him according to his custom and saluted him.The merchant returned his salute，but in ill-temper，and the other，seeing him vexed，said，'O my lord，what hath crossed thee？' Thereupon Shams al-Din told him all that occurred between himself and his wife，adding，'These forty years have I been married to her yet hath she borne me neither son nor daughter； and they say：--The cause of thy failure to get her with child is the thinness of thy seed；

so I have been seeking a some thing wherewith to thicken my semen but found it not.' Quoth Shaykh Mohammed，'O my lord，I have a seed-thickener，but what wilt thou say to him who causeth thy wife to conceive by thee after these forty years have passed？'

Answered the merchant，'If thou do this，I will work thy weal--and reward thee.' 'Then give me a dinar，' rejoined the broker，and Shams al-Din said，'Take these two dinars.' He took them and said，'Give me also yonder big bowl of porcelain.' So he gave it to him and the broker betook himself to a hashish-seller，of whom he bought two ounces of concentrated Roumi opium and equal-parts of Chinese cubebs，cinnamon，cloves，cardamoms，ginger，white pepper and mountain skink[29]； and，pounding them all together，boiled them in sweet olive-oil； after which he added three ounces of male frankincense in fragments and a cupful of coriander-seed； and，macerating the whole，made it into an electuary with Roumi bee honey.Then he put the confection in the bowl and carried it to the merchant，to whom he delivered it，saying，'Here is the seed-thickener，and the manner of using it is this.Take of my electuary with a spoon after supping，and wash it down with a sherbet made of rose conserve； but first sup off mutton and house pigeon plentifully seasoned and hotly spiced.' So the merchant bought all this and sent the meat and pigeons to his wife，saying，'Dress them deftly and lay up the seed-thickener until I want it and call for it.' She did his bidding and，when she served up the meats，he ate the evening meal，after which he called for the bowl and ate of the electuary.It pleased him well，so he ate the rest and knew his wife.That very night she conceived by him and，after three months，her courses ceased，no blood came from her and she knew that she was with child.When the days of her pregnancy were accomplished，the pangs of labour took her and they raised loud lullilooings and cries of joy.The midwife delivered her with difficulty，by pronouncing over the boy at his birth the names of Mohammed and Ali，and said，'Allah is Most Great！'； and she called in his ear the call to prayer.Then she wrapped him up and passed him to his mother，who took him and gave him the breast；