The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 4 | Page 4

its unclean surroundings.
Ever yours sincerely, Richard F. Burton.
Athenæum Club, October 1, 1885

Contents of the Fourth Volume
Tale of Kamar Al-Zaman (continued) a. Ni'amar Bin Al-Rabi'a and
Naomi His Slave-girl b. Conclusion of the Tale of Kamar Al-Zaman 22.
Ala Al-Din Abu Al-Shamat 23. Hatim of the Trive of Tayy 24. Ma'an
the Son of Zaidah 25. Ma'an the Son of Zaidah and the Badawi 26. The
City of Labtayt 27. The Caliph Hisham and the Arab Youth 28. Ibrahim
Bin Al-Mahdi and the Barber-Surgeon 29. The City of
Many-Columned Iram and Abdullah Son of Abi Kilabah 30. Isaac of
Mosul 31. The Sweep and the Noble Lady 32. The Mock Caliph 33. Ali
the Persian 34. Haru Al-Rashid and the Slave-Girl and the Iman Abu
Yusuf 35. The Lover Who Feigned Himself A Thief 36. Ja'afar the
Barmecide and the Bean-Seller 37. Abu Mohammed Hight Lazybones
38. Generous Dealing of Yahya Bin Khálid The Barmecide with
Mansur 39. Generous Dealing of Yahya Son of Khálid with a Man
Who Forged a Letter in his Name 40. Caliph Al-Maamum and the
Strange Scholar 41. Ali Shar and Zumurrud 42. The Loves of Jubayr
Bin Umayr and the Lady Budur 43. The Man of Al-Yaman and His Six
Slave-Girls 44. Harun Al-Rashid and the Damsel and Abu Nowas 45.
The Man Who Stole the Dish of Gold Wherein The Dog Ate 46. The
Sharper of Alexandria and the Chief of Police 47. Al-Malik Al-Nasir
and the Three Chiefs of Police a. Story of the Chief of Police of Cairo b.
Story of the Chief of the Bulak Police c. Story of the Chief of the Old
Cairo Police 48. The Thief and the Shroff 49. The Chief of the Kus
Police and the Sharper 50. Ibrahim Bin Al-Mahdi and the Merchant's
Sister 51. The Woman Whose Hands were Cut Off For Giving Alms to
the Poor 52. The Devout Israelite 53. Abu Hassan Al-Ziyadi and the
Khorasan 54. The Poor Man and His Friend in Need 55. The Ruined
Man Who became Rich Again Through A Dream 56. Caliph
Al-Mutawakkil and His Concubine Mahbubah 57. Wardan the Butcher;
His Adventure With the Lady and the Bear 58. The King's Daughter
and the Ape

The Book of the Thousand Nights and A Night

Ni'amah bin al-Rabi'a and Naomi his Slave-girl.

There lived once in the city of Cufa[FN#1] a man called Al-Rabí'a bin
Hátim, who was one of the chief men of the town, a wealthy and a
healthy, and Heaven had vouchsafed him a son, whom he named
Ni'amah Allah.[FN#2] One day, being in the slave-brokers' mart, he
saw a woman exposed for sale with a little maid of wonderful beauty
and grace on her arm. So he beckoned to the broker and asked him,
"How much for this woman and her daughter?" He answered "Fifty
dinars." Quoth Al-Rabi'a "Write the contract of sale and take the money
and give it to her owner." Then he gave the broker the price and his
brokerage and taking the woman and her child, carried them to his
house. Now when the daughter of his uncle who was his wife saw the
slave, she said to her husband, "O my cousin, what is this damsel?" He
replied, "Of a truth, I bought her for the sake of the little one on her arm;
for know that, when she groweth up, there will not be her like for
beauty, either in the land of the Arabs or the Ajams." His wife
remarked, "Right was thy rede", and said to the woman "What is thy
name?" She replied, "O my lady, my name is Tauflík.[FN#3]" "And
what is thy daughter's name?" asked she? Answered the slave, "Sa'ad,
the happy." Rejoined her mistress; "Thou sayst sooth, thou art indeed
happy, and happy is he who hath bought thee." Then quoth she to her
husband, "O my cousin, what wilt thou call her?"; and quoth he,
"Whatso thou chooses"; so she said, "Then let us call her Naomi," and
he rejoined "Good is thy device." The little Naomi was reared with
Al-Rabi'a's son Ni'amah in one cradle, so to speak, till the twain
reached the age of ten and each grew handsomer than the other; and the
boy used to address her, "O my sister!" and she, "O my brother!", till
they came to that age when Al-Rabi'a said to Ni'amah, "O my son,
Naomi is not thy sister but thy slave. I bought her in thy name whilst
thou wast yet in the cradle; so call her no more sister from this day
forth." Quoth Ni'amah, "If that be so, I will take her to wife." Then he
went to his mother and told her of this, and she said to him, "O my son,