Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 2.djvu/93

The Tale of Ghanim bin Ayyub. ?t was, heard her repeating poetry, and after she ceased reciting her verse, saying, "O my darling, O my Ghanim! how great is thy goodness and how chaste is thy nature ! thou didst well by one who did ill by thee and thou guardedst his honour who garred thine become dishonour, and his Harim thou didst protect who to enslave thee and thine did elect! But thou shalt surely stand, thou and the Commander of the Faithful, before the Just Judge, and thou shalt be justified of him on the Day when the Lord (to whom be honour and glory!) shall be Kazi and the Angels of Heaven shall be witnesses !" When the Caliph heard her complaint, he knew that she had been wronged and, returning to the palace, sent Masrur the Eunuch for her. She came before him with bowed head and eyes tearful and heart sorrowful ; and he said to her, " O Kut al-Kulub, I find thou accusest me of tyranny and oppression, and thou avouchest that I have done ill by one who did well by me. Who is this who hath guarded my honour while I garbed his become dishonour ? Who protected my Harim and whose Harim I wrecked?" "He is Ghanim son of Ayyub," replied she, " for he never approached me in wantonness or with lewd intent, I swear by thy munificence, O Commander of the Faithful ! " Then said the Caliph, " There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah ! Ask what thou wilt of me, O Kut al-Kulub." " O Prince of the Faithful ! ", answered she, ' I require of thee only my beloved Ghanim son of Ayyub." He did as she desired, whereupon she said, " O Lord of the Moslems, if I bring him to thy presence, wilt thou bestow me on him ?" ; and he replied, " If he come into my presence, I will give thee to him as the gift of the generous who revoketh not his largesse." "O Prince of True Believers," quoth she, "suffer me to go and seek him { haply Allah may unite me with him :" and quoth he, " Do even as thou wilt." So she rejoiced and, taking with her a thou- sand dinars in gold, went out and visited the elders of the various faiths and gave alms in Ghanim's name. 1 Next day she walked to the merchants' bazar and disclosed her object to the Syndic and gave him money, saying, "Bestow this in charity to the stranger !" On the following Friday she fared to the bazar (with other thousand dinars) and, entering the goldsmiths' and jewellers' market-street, called the Chief and presented to him a thousand i.e. in order that the reverend men, who do not render such suit and service gratis, might pray for him.