When she awoke, she said to the old man, “O elder, hast thou aught of food?” And he answered, “O my lady, I have bread and olives.”  Quoth she, “That is food fit but for the like of thee.  As for me, I will have nought but roast lamb and broths and fat rissoled fowls and stuffed ducks and all manner meats dressed with [pounded nuts and almond-]kernels and sugar.”  “O my lady,” replied the Muezzin, “I never heard of this chapter in the Koran, nor was it revealed unto our lord Mohammed, whom God bless and keep!"[FN#31] She laughed and said, “O elder, the matter is even as thou sayest; but bring me inkhorn and paper.”  So he brought her what she sought and she wrote a letter and gave it to him, together with a seal-ring from her finger, saying, “Go into the city and enquire for such an one the money-changer and give him this my letter.”

The old man betook himself to the city, as she bade him, and enquired for the money-changer, to whom they directed him.  So he gave him the ring and the letter, which when he saw, he kissed the letter and breaking it open, read it and apprehended its purport.  Then he repaired to the market and buying all that she bade him, laid it in a porter’s basket and bade him go with the old man.  So the latter took him and went with him to the mosque, where he relieved him of his burden and carried the meats in to Sitt el Milah.  She seated him by her side and they ate, he and she, of those rich meats, till they were satisfied, when the old man rose and removed the food from before her.

She passed the night in his lodging and when she arose in the morning, she said to him, “O elder, may I not lack thy kind offices for the morning-meal!  Go to the money-changer and fetch me from him the like of yesterday’s food.”  So he arose and betaking himself to the money-changer, acquainted him with that which she had bidden him.  The money-changer brought him all that she required and set it on the heads of porters; and the old man took them and returned with them to Sitt el Milah.  So she sat down with him and they ate their sufficiency, after which he removed the rest of the food.  Then she took the fruits and the flowers and setting them over against herself, wrought them into rings and knots and letters, whilst the old man looked on at a thing whose like he had never in his life seen and rejoiced therein.

Then said she to him, “O elder, I would fain drink.”  So he arose and brought her a gugglet of water; but she said to him, “Who bade thee fetch that?” Quoth he, “Saidst thou not to me, ’I would fain drink’?” And she answered, “I want not this; nay, I want wine, the delight of the soul, so haply, O elder, I may solace myself therewith.”  “God forbid,” exclaimed the old man, “that wine should be drunk in my house, and I a stranger in the land and a Muezzin and an imam,[FN#32] who prayeth with the true-believers, and a servant of the house of the Lord of the Worlds!  “Quoth she, “Why wilt thou forbid me to drink thereof