Bear then, I pray, with this distracted lover mine ✿ Whose noble nature falsely calls himself a thief!”
When Khalid had read these lines; he withdrew himself from the people and summoned the girl and questioned her; and she told him that the young man was her lover and she his mistress; and that thinking to visit her he came to the dwelling of her people and threw a stone into the house, to warn her of his coming. Her father and brothers heard the noise of the stone and sallied out on him; but he, hearing them coming, caught up all the household stuff and made himself appear a robber to cover his mistress’s honour. “Now when they saw him they seized him (continued she), crying:—A thief! and brought him before thee, whereupon he confessed to the robbery and persisted in his confession, that he might spare me disgrace; and this he did, making himself a thief, of the exceeding nobility and generosity of his nature.” Khalid answered, “He is indeed worthy to have his desire;” and, calling the young man to him, kissed him between the eyes. Then he sent for the girl’s father and bespoke him, saying, “O Shaykh, we thought to carry out the law of mutilation in the case of this young man; but Allah (to whom be Honour and Glory!) hath preserved us from this, and I now adjudge him the sum of ten thousand dirhams, for that he would have given his hand for the preservation of thine honour and that of thy daughter and for the sparing of shame to you both. Moreover, I adjudge other ten thousand dirhams to thy daughter, for that she made known to me the truth of the case; and I ask thy leave to marry her to him.” Rejoined the old man, “O Emir, thou hast my consent.” So Khalid praised Allah and thanked Him and improved the occasion by preaching a goodly sermon and a prayerful;——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Two Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Khalid praised Allah and thanked Him and improved the occasion by preaching a goodly sermon and a prayerful; after which he said to the young man, “I give thee to wife the damsel, such an one here present, with her own permission and her father’s consent; and her wedding settlement shall be this money, to wit, ten thousand dirhams.” “I accept this marriage at thy hands,” replied the youth; and Khalid bade them carry the money on brass trays in procession to the young man’s house, whilst the people dispersed, fully satisfied. “And surely (quoth he who tells the tale[[223]]) never saw I a rarer day than this, for that it began with tears and annoy; and it ended with smiles and joy.” And in contrast of this story is this piteous tale of
[218]. In the Mac. Edit. (ii. 182) “Al-Kushayri.” Al-Kasri was Governor of the two Iraks (i.e. Bassorah and Cufa) in the reign of Al-Hisham, tenth Ommiade (A.D. 723-741).
[219]. Arab. “Thakalata-k Ummak!” This is not so much a curse as a playful phrase, like “Confound the fellow.” So “Kátala-k Allah” (Allah slay thee) and “Lá abá lak” (thou hast no father or mother). These words are even complimentary on occasions, as a good shot or a fine recitation, meaning that the praised far excels the rest of his tribe.
[220]. Koran, iii. 178.
[221]. Arab. “Al-Nisáb” = the minimum sum (about half-a-crown) for which mutilation of the hand is prescribed by religious law. The punishment was truly barbarous, it chastised a rogue by means which prevented hard honest labour for the rest of his life.
[222]. To show her grief.