The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 10 | Page 7

taken up Ma'aruf the Cobbler, flew off with him and set him down
upon a high mountain and said to him, "O mortal, descend this
mountain and thou wilt see the gate of a city. Enter it, for therein thy
wife cannot come at thee." He then left him and went his way, whilst
Ma'aruf abode in amazement and perplexity till the sun rose, when he
said to himself, "I will up with me and go down into the city: indeed
there is no profit in my abiding upon this highland." So he descended to
the mountain-foot and saw a city girt by towering walls, full of lofty
palaces and gold-adorned buildings which was a delight to beholders.
He entered in at the gate and found it a place such as lightened the
grieving heart; but, as he walked through the streets the townsfolk
stared at him as a curiosity and gathered about him, marvelling at his
dress, for it was unlike theirs. Presently, one of them said to him, "O
man, art thou a stranger?" "Yes." "What countryman art thou?" "I am
from the city of Cairo the Auspicious." "And when didst thou leave
Cairo?" "I left it yesterday, at the hour of afternoon-prayer."
Whereupon the man laughed at him and cried out, saying, "Come look,
O folk, at this man and hear what he saith!" Quoth they, "What doeth
he say?"; and quoth the townsman, "He pretendeth that he cometh from
Cairo and left it yesterday at the hour of afternoon-prayer!" At this they
all laughed and gathering round Ma'aruf, said to him, "O man, art thou
mad to talk thus? How canst thou pretend that thou leftest Cairo at
mid-afternoon yesterday and foundedst thyself this morning here, when
the truth is that between our city and Cairo lieth a full year's journey?"
Quoth he, "None is mad but you. As for me, I speak sooth, for here is

bread which I brought with me from Cairo, and see, 'tis yet new." Then
he showed them the bread and they stared at it, for it was unlike their
country bread. So the crowd increased about him and they said to one
another, "This is Cairo bread: look at it;" and he became a gazing-stock
in the city and some believed him, whilst others gave him the lie and
made mock of him. Whilst this was going on, behold, up came a
merchant riding on a she-mule and followed by two black slaves, and
brake a way through the people, saying, "O folk, are ye not ashamed to
mob this stranger and make mock of him and scoff at him?" And he
went on to rate them, till he drave them away from Ma'aruf, and none
could make him any answer. Then he said to the stranger, "Come, O
my brother, no harm shall betide thee from these folk. Verily they have
no shame."[FN#18] So he took him and carrying him to a spacious and
richly-adorned house, seated him in a speak-room fit for a King, whilst
he gave an order to his slaves, who opened a chest and brought out to
him a dress such as might be worn by a merchant worth a
thousand.[FN#19] He clad him therewith and Ma'aruf, being a seemly
man, became as he were consul of the merchants. Then his host called
for food and they set before them a tray of all manner exquisite viands.
The twain ate and drank and the merchant said to Ma'aruf, "O my
brother, what is thy name?" "My name is Ma'aruf and I am a cobbler by
trade and patch old shoes." "What countryman art thou?" "I am from
Cairo." "What quarter?" "Dost thou know Cairo?" "I am of its
children.[FN#20] I come from the Red Street.[FN#21]" "And whom
dost thou know in the Red Street?" "I know such an one and such an
one," answered Ma'aruf and named several people to him. Quoth the
other, "Knowest thou Shaykh Ahmad the druggist?[FN#22]" "He was
my next neighbour, wall to wall." "Is he well?" "Yes." "How many
sons hath he?" "Three, Mustafà, Mohammed and Ali." "And what hath
Allah done with them?" "As for Mustafà, he is well and he is a learned
man, a professor[FN#23]: Mohammed is a druggist and opened him a
shop beside that of his father, after he had married, and his wife hath
borne him a son named Hasan." "Allah gladden thee with good news!"
said the merchant; and Ma'aruf continued, "As for Ali, he was my
friend, when we were boys, and we always played together, I and he.
We used to go in the guise of the children of the Nazarenes and enter
the church and steal the books of the Christians and sell them and buy

food with the price. It