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well, that one of the Stories which you tell fo agreeably, would be a great Relief againſt that Melancholy which eats me up. Scheherazade, without anſwering her, began immeditely, and told the Sultan the following Story.
The Story of the three Callenders, Sons of Kings, and of the five Ladies of Bagdad.
SIR, ſaid ſhe, in the Reign of Caliph Haroun Alraſhid, there was at Bagdad, the Place of his Refidence. a Porter, who, notwithſtanding his mean and laborious Buſineſs, was a Fellow of Wit and good Humour. One Morning, as he was at the Place where he uſually ply’d, with a great Basket waiting for Employment, a young handſome Lady, covered with a great Muſlin Veil, came to him, and ſaid with a pleaſant Air, Hark ye, Porter, take your Basket and follow me. The Porter, charm’d with thoſe few Words pronounc’d in agreeable a manner, took his Basket immediately, ſet it on his Head, and follow’d the Lady, ſaying, O happy Day, a Day of good Luck.
The Lady ſtopp’d preſently before a Gate that was ſhut, and knock’d: A Chriſtian with a venerable long white Beard, open’d the Gate, and ſhe put Money into his Hand without ſpeaking one Word; but the Chriſtian, who knew what ſhe wanted, went in and in a little time after, brought a large Jugg of excellent Wine. Take this Jugg, ſays the Lady to the Porter, and put it in your Basket. This being done, ſhe commanded him to follow her, and as ſhe went on, the Porter ſays ſtill, O happy Day, this is a Day of agreeable Surprize and Joy.
The Lady ſtopp’d at a Fruit-Shop, where ſhe bought ſeveral forts of Apples, Apricocks, Peaches, Quinces, Limons, Citrons, Oranges, Myrtles, ſweet Baſil, Lillies, Jeſſamin, and ſome other ſorts of Flowers and Plants that ſmell well; ſhe bid the Porter put all into his Basket and follow her: As ſhe went by a Butcher’s Stall, ſhe made him weigh her Twenty five Pound of his beſt Meat; which ſhe order’d the Porter to put alſo into his Basket.
At another Shop, ſhe took Capers, Cucumbers, and other Herbs preferv’d in Vinegar: At another Shop, ſhebought
