第81章 (81)

and，when the folk saw what had befallen the Christian，they said，'Serve him right； but what an unlucky mouthful was that for him！' And another said，'Be the far one's wife divorced if this vow be broken： never again to the end of my days will I eat of sugared rice！'； and the Hashish-eater cried 'Praised be Allah，who spared me this fellow's fate by saving me from eating of that same rice！' Then they all went out，holding it thenceforth unlawful to sit over against the dish of sweet rice as the Nazarene had sat.Now when the first day of the third month came，they laid the tables according to custom，and covered them with dishes and chargers，and Queen Zumurrud came down and sat on her throne，with her guards in attendance，as of wont，in awe of her dignity and majesty.Then the townsfolk entered as before and went round about the tables，looking for the place of the dish of sweet rice，and quoth one to another，'Hark ye，O Haji[308]

Khalaf！'； and the other answered，'At thy service，O Haji Khalid.' Said Khalid，'Avoid the dish of sweet rice and look thou eat not thereof； for，if thou do，by early morning thou will be hanged.'[309] Then they sat down to meat around the table；

and，as they were eating，Queen Zumurrud chanced to look from her throne and saw a man come running in through the gate of the horse-course； and having considered him attentively，she knew him for Jawan the Kurdish thief who murdered the trooper.Now the cause of his coming was this： when he left his mother，he went to his comrades and said to them，'I did good business yesterday；

for I slew a trooper and took his horse.Moreover there fell to me last night a pair of saddle-bags，full of gold，and a young lady worth more than the money in pouch； and I have left all that with my mother in the cave.' At this they rejoiced and repaired to the cavern at night-fall，whilst Jawan the Kurd walked in front and the rest behind； he wishing to bring them the booty of which he had boasted.But he found the place clean empty and questioned his mother，who told him all that had befallen her；

whereupon he bit his hands for regret and exclaimed，'By Allah，I will assuredly make search for the harlot and take her，wherever she is，though it be in the shell of a pistachio-nut，[310] and quench my malice on her！' So he went forth in quest of her and ceased not journeying from place to place，till he came to Queen Zumurrud's city.On entering he found the town deserted and，enquiring of some women whom he saw looking from the windows，they told him that it was the Sultan's custom to make a banquet for the people on the first of each month and that all the lieges were bound to go and eat of it.Furthermore the women directed him to the racing-ground，where the feast was spread.So he entered at a shuffling trot； and，finding no place empty，save that before the dish of sweet rice already noticed，took his seat right opposite it and stretched out his hand towards the dish；

whereupon the folk cried out to him，saying，'O our brother，what wouldst thou do？' Quoth he，'I would eat my fill of this dish.'

Rejoined one of the people，'If thou eat of it thou wilt assuredly find thyself hanged to-morrow morning.' But Jawan said，'Hold thy tongue and talk not so unpleasantly.' Then he stretched out his hand to the dish and drew it to him； but it so chanced that the Hashish-eater of whom we have spoken，was sitting by him； and when he saw him take the dish，the fumes of the Hashish left his head and he fled from his place and sat down afar off，saying，'I will have nothing to do with yonder dish.' Then Jawan the Kurd put out his hand （which was very like a raven's claws，[311] scooped up therewith half the dishful and drew out his neave as it were a camel's hoof，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-second Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Jawan the Kurd drew his neave from the dish as it were a camel's hoof and rolled the lump of rice in the palm of his hand，till it was like a big orange，and threw it ravenously into his mouth； and it rolled down his gullet，with a rumble like thunder and the bottom of the deep dish appeared where said mouthful had been.Thereupon quoth to him one sitting by his side，'Praised be Allah for not making me meat between thy hands； for thou hast cleared the dish at a single mouthful；' and quoth the Hashish-eater，'Let him eat；