The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 10 | Page 8

chanced once that the Nazarenes caught us with a
book; whereupon they complained of us to our folk and said to Ali's
father:--An thou hinder not thy son from troubling us, we will complain
of thee to the King. So he appeased them and gave Ali a thrashing;
wherefore he ran away none knew whither and he hath now been
absent twenty years and no man hath brought news of him." Quoth the
host, "I am that very Ali, son of Shaykh Ahmad the druggist, and thou
art my playmate Ma'aruf."[FN#24] So they saluted each other and after
the salam Ali said, "Tell me why, O Ma'aruf, thou camest from Cairo to
this city." Then he told him all that had befallen him of ill-doing with
his wife Fatimah the Dung and said, "So, when her annoy waxed on me,
I fled from her towards the Gate of Victory and went forth the city.
Presently, the rain fell heavy on me; so I entered a ruined cell in the
Adiliyah and sat there, weeping; whereupon there came forth to me the
Haunter of the place, which was an Ifrit of the Jinn, and questioned me.
I acquainted him with my case and he took me on his back and flew
with me all night between heaven and earth, till he set me down on
yonder mountain and gave me to know of this city. So I came down
from the mountain and entered the city, when people crowded about me
and questioned me. I told them that I had left Cairo yesterday, but they
believed me not, and presently thou camest up and driving the folk
away from me, carriedst me this house. Such, then, is the cause of my
quitting Cairo; and thou, what object brought thee hither?" Quoth Ali,
"The giddiness[FN#25] of folly turned my head when I was seven
years old, from which time I wandered from land to land and city to
city, till I came to this city, the name whereof is Ikhtiyán
al-Khatan.[FN#26] I found its people an hospitable folk and a kindly,
compassionate for the poor man and selling to him on credit and
believing all he said. So quoth I to them:--I am a merchant and have
preceded my packs and I need a place wherein to bestow my baggage.
And they believed me and assigned me a lodging. Then quoth I to
them:--Is there any of you will lend me a thousand dinars, till my loads
arrive, when I will repay it to him; for I am in want of certain things
before my goods come? They gave me what I asked and I went to the
merchants' bazar, where, seeing goods, I bought them and sold them
next day at a profit of fifty gold pieces and bought others.[FN#27] And
I consorted with the folk and entreated them liberally, so that they

loved me, and I continued to sell and buy, till I grew rich. Know, O my
brother, that the proverb saith, The world is show and trickery: and the
land where none wotteth thee, there do whatso liketh thee. Thou too, an
thou say to all who ask thee, I'm a cobbler by trade and poor withal,
and I fled from my wife and left Cairo yesterday, they will not believe
thee and thou wilt be a laughing-stock among them as long as thou
abidest in the city; whilst, an thou tell them, An Ifrit brought me hither,
they will take fright at thee and none will come near thee; for they will
say, This man is possessed of an Ifrit and harm will betide whoso
approacheth him. And such public report will be dishonouring both to
thee and to me, because they ken I come from Cairo." Ma'aruf
asked:--"How then shall I do?"; and Ali answered, "I will tell thee how
thou shalt do, Inshallah! To-morrow I will give thee a thousand dinars
and a she-mule to ride and a black slave, who shall walk before thee
and guide thee to the gate of the merchants' bazar; and do thou go into
them. I will be there sitting amongst them, and when I see thee, I will
rise to thee and salute thee with the salam and kiss thy hand and make a
great man of thee. Whenever I ask thee of any kind of stuff, saying,
Hast thou brought with thee aught of such a kind? do thou answer,
"Plenty.[FN#28]" And if they question me of thee, I will praise thee
and magnify thee in their eyes and say to them, Get him a store-house
and a shop. I also will give thee out for a man of great wealth and
generosity; and if a beggar come to thee, bestow upon him what thou
mayst; so will