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harem and going in to his wife, laid them before her. She uncovered them and seeing therein that whose like she possessed not,—no, nor a fraction thereof,—said to him, ‘Of which of the kings hadst thou these? Peradventure of one of those that seek our daughter in marriage?’ ‘Not so,’ answered he, ‘I had them of an Egyptian merchant, who is lately come to our city. I heard tell of him and sent to command him to us, thinking to make his acquaintance, so haply we might find with him somewhat of jewels and buy them of him for our daughter’s equipment. He obeyed the summons and brought us these four trays, as a present, and I saw him to be a handsome and elegant young man[1] of dignified aspect and accomplished wit, well-nigh as he were of the sons of the kings. Wherefore my heart inclined to him and I rejoiced in him and thought to marry my daughter to him.’ Then he told her what had passed between himself and his grandees on the subject and added, ‘But what sayst thou?’ Night ccccxxxii.‘O King of the age,’ answered she, ‘the affair is in God’s hand, and thine, and what God willeth shall come to pass.’ ‘If it be His will,’ rejoined the King, ‘I will marry her to none other than this young man.’
So, on the morrow, he went out to his Divan and sending for Ali and the rest of the merchants of Baghdad, bade them be seated. Then he summoned the Cadi of the Divan and said to him, ‘O Cadi, draw up the contract of marriage between my daughter and the merchant Ali of Cairo.’ But the latter said, ‘Thy pardon, O our lord the Sultan! It befits not that a merchant, such as I, be the King’s son-in-law.’ Quoth the King, ‘It is my will to bestow this favour upon thee, as well as the Vizierate.’ And he invested him forthwith in the Vizier’s habit. Then Ali sat down in the
- ↑ The word shabb (young man) is applied by the Arabs to men of all ages from early adolescence to forty or even (according to some authorities) fifty.
