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


