The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 499 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15.

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 499 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15.
to which he made answer “I am the Prophet Job the Ulcered, where is the way out of this?” “Here,” cried the Jester, upon which Job passed out of the door and went about his business and on such wise made his escape.  Next the Herbalist stood up and opening his basket brought out fragrant herbs and fell to scattering them over his sconce and about it and over his ears,[FN#416] till such time as all his face was hidden in greens, after which he also went out and accosting the house-master said, “The Peace be upon you!” And when the man returned the salam he asked him, “Hath Job the Ulcered passed by thee on this path?” “Indeed he hath,” said the other; “but what mayst thou be?” “I am Al-Khizr, the Green Prophet” (upon whom be The Peace),[FN#417] and so saying he brushed by the Droll and passed through the door.  Now when the second lover had gone forth and escaped, the Flesher arose and donning the ram’s skin set its horns upon his head and began crawling out of the closet upon all fours, hands and knees, until he stood before the husband of his beloved, and said to him, “The Peace be upon you!” “And upon you be The Peace,” returned the other, “What mayst thou be?” “I am Iskandar, Lord of the Two Horns,” cried the other; “say me, have there passed by thee Job the Ulcered and Al-Khizr the Green Prophet (upon whom be The Peace)?” Quoth the house-master, “They went by this place and forewent thee.”  So the third lover passed through the doorway and escaped, and presently the Shaykh of the Pipers rose to his feet and applying the mouthpiece of his pipe to his lips went up to his mistress’s mate and said, “The Peace be upon you!” and on the man returning his salam, asked him, “Hath it so happened that Job the Ulcered and Al Khizr the Green Prophet and Iskandar Lord of the Two Horns passed this way?” “They have,” answered the other, “What art thou?” Cried he, “I am Israfil,[FN#418] and ’tis my design forthright to blow the Last Trump.”  Hereupon the Droll straightway arose and laid hands upon him crying, “Yallah, Yallah,[FN#419] O my brother, blow not at all until we shall have gone, I and thou, to the Sultan.”  So saying he took him by the hand and fared forth with him and ceased not faring until he had carried him into the presence, when the King asked, “Wherefore hast thou arrested this man?” Answered he, “O King of the Age, this is our Lord Israfil and ’twas his intent to blow the Last Trump, so I forbade him therefrom until such time as I had brought him for thee to look upon, lest haply he might so have done without thy knowledge, and said I to myself, ’By Allah, better set him before the Sultan ere he sound his Trumpet.’  Furthermore I do pray for thy welfare, O King of the Age, inasmuch as thou hast married me to this dame because I had fear of her lest she company with strange men.  But I found her a saintly woman who admitted none of mankind save that to-day when I went forth from thee at morning-tide I turned me homewards and going into my house caught
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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.