第66章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

Then he wept sore and laying his head on his father's tomb，remained plunged in melancholy thought till drowsiness overcame him and he fell asleep. He slept on till the moon rosewhen his head rolled off the tomb and he lay on his backwith his face gleaming in the moon. Now the cemetery was haunted by true-believing Jinnand presently a Jinniyeh came out and seeing Bedreddin lying asleepmarvelled at his beauty and grace and said'Glory be to God！This can be no other than one of the children of Paradise.'Then she rose into the air to fly about，as was her wontand met an Afrit flyingwho saluted herand she said to him'Whence comest thou？'From Cairo，'replied he.

Quoth she'Wilt thou come with me and look on the beauty of a youth who sleeps in the burial-ground yonder？'And he said'I will well.'So they both flew down to the tomb and she showed him Bedreddinsaying'Sawest thou ever the like of this young man？'

The Afrit looked at him and exclaimed'Blessed be God to whom there is none like！ButO my sistershall I tell thee what I have seen this day？'What is that？'asked she；and he answered，'I have seen a young lady in the land of Egyptwho is the counterpart of this youth. She is the daughter of the Vizier Shemseddin of Cairo and is possessed of beauty and grace and symmetry and perfection. When she reached the age of fifteenthe Sultan of Egypt heard of her and sending for the Vizier her fathersaid to him'O Vizierit has come to my knowledge that thou hast a daughter and I wish to demand her of thee in marriage.'O my lord the Sultan，'replied the Vizier'I prithee accept my excuse and take compassion on my grieffor thou knowest that my brother Noureddinwho was my partner in the Vizierateleft us many years ago and went I know not whither.

Now the reason of his departure was that one night we were sitting talking of marriage and childrenwhen we came to words on the subject and he was angry with me and went away in his anger. But on the day her mother bore herfifteen years agoI swore that I would marry my daughter to none but my brother's son. Nowawhile agoI heard that he is lately dead at Bassora，where he was Vizierafter having married the former Vizier's daughter and had by her a son；and I will not marry my daughter but to himin honour of my brother's memory. MoreoverI recorded the date of my marriage and of the conception and birth of my daughter and drew her horoscopeand she is destined for her cousin and there are girls in plenty for our lord the Sultan.'When the Sultan heard the Vizier's answerhe was exceeding wroth and said'When the like of me demands in marriage the daughter of the like of theehe confers a favour on herand thou puttest me off with idle excuses！As my head livethI will marry her to the meanest of my serving mento spite thee！'Now the Sultan had a hunchbacked groomwith a hump behind and beforeand he sent for him and married him to the Vizier's daughterwhether she would or noand bade carry him in procession and bring him in to his bride this very night. Now I have just come from Cairowhere I left the hunchback at the door of the bathsurrounded by the King's servants holding lighted flambeaux and making mock of him. As for the Vizier's daughter，she sits among her nurses and tire-womenweepingfor they have forbidden her father access to her. NeverO my sistersaw I one more hideous than the hunchbackwhilst the young lady is the likest of all folk to this youththough she is even handsomer than he.'Thou liest，'replied the Jinniyeh；'this youth is handsomer than any one of his day.'By AllahO my sister，'replied the Afrit'the girl I speak of is handsomer than hebut none but he is worthy of herfor they resemble each other as they were brother and sister or brothers'children. Alasthe pity of her with that hunchback！'Then said she'O my brother，let us take him up and carry him to Cairothat we may compare him with the damsel and see whether of them is the handsomer.'

'I hear and obey，'answered the Afrit；'this is right well advisedand I will carry him.'So he took Bedreddin up and flew with him through the airaccompanied by the Afritehtill he alighted in the city of Cairo and set him down on a stone bench.

Then he aroused himand when he found himself no longer on his father's tomb in Bassorabut in a strange cityhe would have cried outbut the Afrit gave him a cuff and imposed silence on him. Then he brought him a splendid dress and made him put it on，and giving him a lighted flambeausaid to him'Know that I have brought thee hithermeaning to do thee a good turn for the love of God；so take this torch and mingle with the people at the door of the bath and accompany them to the house of the wedding festival. Then advance and enter the hall and fear nonebut sit down on the right hand of the humpbacked bridegroom；and as often as the tire-women and singers stop before theeput thy hand into thy pocket and thou wilt find it full of gold. Take it out by handsful and give to all who come to thee and spare notfor as often as thou puttest thy hand into thy pocketthou wilt find it without fail full of gold. So fear nothingbut put thy trust in Him who created theefor all this is not by shine own strength but by that of Godthat His decrees may take effect upon His creatures.'Quoth Bedreddin to himself'I wonder what is the meaning of all this！'And taking the torchwent to the bath，where he found the hunchback already on horseback. So he mixed with the people and moved on with the bridal-procession；and as often as the singing-women stopped to collect largesse from the peoplehe put his hand into his pocket and finding it full of goldtook out a handful and threw it into the singers'tambourinetill it was full of dinars. The singing women were amazed at his munificence and they and the people wondered at his beauty and grace and the richness of his dress. He ceased not to do thustill he reached the Vizier's palacewhere the chamberlains drove back the people and forbade them to enter；but the singing women said'By Allahwe will not enterunless this young man enter with usfor he has overwhelmed us with his bounties；nor shall the bride be displayedexcept he be present.'