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89-2-2 -
The Story of the Hunchback:
The Story
Told by the Christian Broker
On
the 25th Night contd ...
Thus
we traded for some time, until one day, I took bath, entering my lodging, took my breakfast
of a cup of wine and slept. When I woke up, I ate a fowl and went to the
shop a merchant, Badr ad-Deen the Gardener. A woman came there and sat
beside me. She saluted Badr ad-Deen and he returned her salutation. They
talked for a while. As I heard her talking, I fell in love with her. Then
she asked - "Do you have a stuff woven with pure gold thread?" He
showed her a piece, she asked - "May I take it and go and send you
the price?" He said - "It is impossible, because he is the owner
of this stuff and I owe him a portion of profit."
She
said - "But I have been buying the stuff for a considerable money and
giving you beyond your wish and then to send you your price." He said
- "Yes, I know, but I need its price today." At this she threw
that piece upon him and said - "Your class doesn't know how to
respect a person of a rank." And off she went. I could not tolerate
this, so I called her back. She came back and said to me - "I have
come only because of you." I asked Badr ad-Deen the price of that
piece, he said, "1,100 pieces of silver." I said - "Your
profit will be 100 pieces of silver, wrote a paper for it and gave the
piece to her and said- "Take it and go. If you will, bring the price
to me in the market; or otherwise keep it as a present from me." She said
- "God recompense you and bless you with my property and make you my
husband."
Then I
said to her - "Let this piece be yours, and now let me see your
face." She raised her veil and I saw that she was very beautiful. She
went away and I sat there till past the hour of afternoon prayer. Before I
left, I asked the merchant to respect her. He told me that she was a
wealthy woman, a daughter of a deceased Ameer. I came back to my house. I
could not eat food or sleep on that day.
Next
morning I got ready in richer clothes than the previous day and went and
sat down on the merchant's shop. That woman also came in richer clothes
than that of the previous day, attended by a slave girl, saluted me instead of Badr al-Deen and said - "Send
someone with me to receive the 1,200
silver pieces." I asked her - "What is the hurry?" She said
- "May we never lose you." and she gave me the price. Then we talked
for a while. I made a sign to her to visit her, which she understood. She
got up and went away, I also followed her through the market street. A
slave girl came to me and said - "Answer the summon of my
mistress." I said - "Who has summoned me, no one knows me
here." She said - "How soon you have forgotten her? She is the
one who went to Badr ad-Deen's shop today." So I went with her until
we arrived at the money changer's place.
There
she was, as she saw me she drew me to her side and said - "O beloved,
You have wounded my heart. Since I have seen you nor I have eaten nor I
have slept. Shall I visit you?" I said - "I am a stranger here
and I have no place of mine to receive you, except the Khaan Masaroor's. So if you
will, permit me to go to your house." She said - "Tonight is the
eve of Friday, and nothing will be done till tomorrow. After the prayers,
you ride your ass and inquire for Habbaniyaah, and when you have arrived
there ask for the house of Kaah of Barakat the Naqeeb, known by the
surname of Abboo-Shameh. I live there and do not be late, I will be
waiting for you."
I came
back home, passed the night sleeplessly, got ready in the morning, took 50
pieces of gold in a handkerchief and came to Baab Zuveleh. There I mounted
on an ass and asked its owner to take me to Habbaniyaah. It came there and
looked for the house she told me. I soon got it, and asked the owner of
the ass to take me back next morning to my home. I gave him a quarter of
the gold piece and he went away. I knocked the door and two girls opened
the door. They said to me - "Our mistress has been expecting you. She
has not slept last night because of love to you.."
I
entered in an upper room with seven doors.
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