第22章

Inshallah，tomorrow we will compound for thee some alchemical-cookery.But now bid thy wife play us her very best pieces and gladden our hearts for we love music.' So she took her lute and made them such melody that had caused the hardest rocks to dance with glee； and they passed the night in mirth and merriment，converse and good cheer，till morn appeared with its sheen and shone，when the Caliph laid an hundred gold pieces under the prayer-carpet and all，after taking leave of Ala al-Din，went their way.And they ceased not to visit him thus every night for nine nights； and each morning the Caliph put an hundred dinars under the prayer carpet，till the tenth night，when they came not.Now the reason of their failure to come was that the Caliph had sent to a great merchant，saying to him，'Bring me fifty loads of stuffs，such as come from Cairo，'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Prince of True Believers said to that merchant，'Bring me fifty loads of stuffs such as come from Cairo，and let each one be worth a thousand dinars，and write on each bale its price； and bring me also a male Abyssinian slave.' The merchant did the bidding of the Caliph who committed to the slave a basin and ewer of gold and other presents，together with the fifty loads； and wrote a letter to Ala al-Din as from his father Shams al-Din and said to him，'Take these bales and what else is with them，and go to such and such a quarter wherein dwelleth the Provost of the merchants and say，'Where be Ala al-Din Abu al Shamat？' till folk direct thee to his quarter and his house.' So the slave took the letter and the goods and what else and fared forth on his errand.Such was his case； but as regards Zubaydah's cousin and first husband，he went to her father and said to him，'Come let us go to Ala al-Din and make him divorce the daughter of my uncle.' So they set out both together and，when they came to the street in which the house stood，they found fifty he mules laden with bales of stuffs，and a blackamoor riding on a she mule.So they said to him，'Whose loads are these？' He replied，'They belong to my lord Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat； for his father equipped him with merchandise and sent him on a journey to Baghdad-city； but the wild Arabs came forth against him and took his money and goods and all he had.So when the ill news reached his father，he despatched me to him with these loads，in lieu of those he had lost； besides a mule laden with fifty thousand dinars，a parcel of clothes worth a power of money，a robe of sables[73] and a basin and ewer of gold.' Whereupon the lady's father said，'He whom thou seekest is my son-in-law and I will show thee his house.' Meanwhile Ala al-Din was sitting at home in huge concern，when lo！ one knocked at the door and he said，'O Zubaydah，Allah is all-knowing！ but I fear thy father hath sent me an officer from the Kazi or the Chief of Police.' Quoth she，'Go down and see what it is.' So he went down； and，opening the door，found his father-in-law，the Provost of the merchants with an Abyssinian slave，dusky complexioned and pleasant of favour，riding on a mule.When the slave saw him he dismounted and kissed his hands，and Ala al-Din said，'What dost thou want？' He replied，'I am the slave of my lord Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat，son of Shams al-Din，Consul of the merchants for the land of Egypt，who hath sent me to him with this charge.' Then he gave him the letter and Ala al-Din opening it found written what followeth：[74]

'Ho thou my letter！ when my friend shall see thee，* Kiss thou the ground and buss his sandal-shoon：

Look thou hie softly and thou hasten not，* My life and rest are in those hands so boon.

'After hearty salutations and congratulations and high estimation from Shams al-Din to his son，Abu al-Shamat.Know，O my son，that news hath reached me of the slaughter of thy men and the plunder of thy monies and goods； so I send thee herewith fifty loads of Egyptian stuffs，together with a suit of clothes and a robe of sables and a basin and ewer of gold.Fear thou no evil，and the goods thou hast lost were the ransom of thy life； so regret them not and may no further grief befall thee.Thy mother and the people of the house are doing well in health and happiness and all greet thee with abundant greetings.Moreover，O my son，it hath reached me that they have married thee，by way of intermediary，to the lady Zubaydah the lutist and they have imposed on thee a marriage-settlement of ten thousand dinars；