第5章

Upon this the Persian began making preparation of all things needed，such as presents and rarities； and he took of Al-Rabi'a in all the sum of ten thousand dinars，together with horses and camels and beasts of burden and other requisites.Then Ni'amah farewelled his father and mother and journeyed with the physician to Aleppo.They could find no news of Naomi there so they fared on to Damascus，where they abode three days，after which the Persian took a shop and he adorned even the shelves with vessels of costly porcelain，with covers of silver，and with gildings and stuffs of price.Moreover，he set before himself vases and flagons of glass full of all manner of ointments and ups，and he surrounded them with cups of crystal--and，placing astrolabe and geomantic tablet facing him，he donned a physician's habit and took his seat in the shop.Then he set Ni'amah standing before him clad in a shirt and gown of silk and，girding his middle with a silken kerchief gold-embroidered，said to him，'O Ni'amah，henceforth thou art my son； so call me naught but sire，and I will call thee naught but son.' And he replied，'I hear and I obey.' Thereupon the people of Damascus flocked to the Persian's shop that they might gaze on the youth's goodliness and the beauty of the shop and its contents，whilst the physician spoke to Ni'amah in Persian and he answered him in the same tongue，for he knew the language，after the wont of the sons of the notables.

So that Persian doctor soon became known among the townsfolk and they began to acquaint him with their ailments，and he to prescribe for them remedies.Moreover，they brought him the water of the sick in phials，[13] and he would test it and say，'He，whose water this is，is suffering from such and such a disease，'and the patient would declare，'Verily this physician sayeth sooth.' So he continued to do the occasions of the folk and they to flock to him，till his fame spread throughout the city and into the houses of the great.Now，one day as he sat in his-shop，behold，there came up an old woman riding on an ass with a stuffed saddle of brocade embroidered with jewels； and，stopping before the Persian's shop，drew rein and beckoned him，saying，'Take my hand.' He took her hand，and she alighted and asked him 'Art thou the Persian physician from Irak？' 'Yes，' answered he，and she said，'Know that I have a sick daughter.' Then she brought out to him a phial--and the Persian looked at it and said to her，'O my mistress，tell me thy daughter's name，that I may calculate her horoscope and learn the hour in which it will befit her to drink medicine.' She replied，'O my brother the Persian，[14] her name is Naomi.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Forty-second Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the Persian heard the name of Naomi，he fell to calculating and writing on his hand and presently said，'O my lady，I cannot prescribe a medicine for her till I know what country woman she is，because of the difference of climate： so tell me in what land she was brought up and what is her age.' The old woman replied 'She is fourteen years old and she was brought up in Cufa of Irak.' He asked，'And how long hath she sojourned in this country？' 'But a few months，' answered she.Now when Ni'amah heard the old woman's words and recognised the name of his slave-

girl，his heart fluttered and he was like to faint.Then said the Persian，'Such and such medicines will suit her case；' and the old woman rejoined，'Then make them up and give me what thou hast mentioned，with the blessing of Almighty Allah.' So saying，she threw upon the shop board ten gold pieces，and he looked at Ni'amah and bade him prepare the necessary drugs； whereupon she also looked at the youth and exclaimed，'Allah have thee in his keeping，O my son！ Verily，she favoureth thee in age and mien.'

Then said she to the physician，'O my brother the Persian，is this thy slave or thy son？' 'He is my son，' answered he.So Ni'amah put up the medicine and，placing it in a little box，took a piece of paper and wrote thereon these two couplets，[15]

'If Naomi bless me with a single glance，* Let Su'ada sue and Juml joy to They said，'Forget her： twenty such thou'lt find.'*But none is like her--I will not forget！'

He pressed the paper into the box and，sealing it up，wrote upon the cover the following words in Cufic characters，'I am Ni'amah of al-Rabi'a of Cufa.' Then he set it before the old woman who took it and bade them farewell and returned to the Caliph's palace，and when she went up with the drugs to the damsel she placed the little box of medicine at her feet，saying，'O my lady，know that there is lately come to our town a Persian physician，than whom I never saw a more skilful nor a better versed in matters of malady.I told him thy name，after showing him the water-bottle，and forthwith he knew thine ailment and prescribed a remedy.Then he bade his son make thee up this medicine； and there is not in Damascus a comelier or a seemlier youth than this lad of his，nor hath anyone a shop the like of his shop.' So Naomi took the box and，seeing the names of her lord and his father written on the cover，changed colour and said to herself，'Doubtless，the owner of this shop is come in search of me.' So she said to the old woman，'Describe to me this youth.' Answered the old woman，'His name is Ni'amah，he hath a mole on his right eyebrow，is richly clad and is perfectly handsome.' Cried Naomi，'Give me the medicine，whereon be the blessing and help of Almighty Allah！' So she drank off the potion （and she laughing） and said，'Indeed，it is a blessed medicine！'