* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*
The Sultan was delighted with the 'Ajami's relation and largessed
him two thousand pieces of gold; after which he returned to his
palace and took seat upon his Divan when suddenly a poor man
appeared before him carrying a load of fruit and greens and
greeted him and prayed for him and expressed a blessing which the
Sultan returned and bade him fair welcome. After which he asked,
"What hast thou with thee, O Shaykh?" and the other answered, "O
King of the Age, I have an offering to thee of fresh greens and
firstfruits;" and the King rejoined, "It is accepted." Thereupon
the man placed them between his royal hands and stood up, and the
King having removed the cover[FN#285] found under it a portion of
ordinary cucumbers and sundry curling cucumbers and bundles of
rose-mallows[FN#286] which had been placed before him. So he took
thereof some little matter and ate it and was much pleased and
bade the Eunuchry bear the rest into the Harem. They carried out
his commands and the women also were delighted and having eaten
somewhat they distributed the remainder to the slave-girls. Then
said they, "By Allah, this man, the fruit-owner, deserveth
Bakhshísh;"[FN#287] so they sent to him by the Eunuch one hundred
gold pieces whereto the Sultan added twain, so the whole of his
gain was three hundred dinars. But the Sultan was much pleased
with the man and a part of the care which he felt was lightened
to him, whereupon asked he, "O Shaykh, knowest thou aught of
boon-companionship with the Kings?" to which the other answered,
"Yes;" for he was trim of tongue and ready of reply and sweet of
speech. Presently the Sultan continued, "O Shaykh, for this
present go back to thy village and give to thy wife and family
that which Allah hath made thy lot." Accordingly the man went
forth and did as the King bade him; after which he returned in a
short time and went into the presence about set of sun when he
found his liege lord at supper. The King bade him sit to the
trays which he did and he ate after the measure of his
sufficiency, and again when the Sultan looked upon him he was
pleased with him. And when the hour of night-prayers came all
prayed together;[FN#288] then the King invited him to sit down as
a cup-companion and commanded him to relate one of his
tales.?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the
Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and
that was
The Four Hundred and Seventeenth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the man
took seat as a boon-companion of the King, and began to relate