“Then I have a bad fairy as well as a good one, eh?” said Said; “but if you can do nothing else you can surely help me with good advice. Shall I go to the Caliph and complain to him? He is a wise man and he will know how to protect me against Kalum-Bek.”
“Yes, Harun is very wise, but unfortunately he is but human and trusts his Chamberlain implicitly, and with justice, too, for he has tried him and proved him to be trusted. But honest Messour in his turn trusts Kalum-Bek, and there he is wrong, for Kalum is a bad man, although he is Messour’s cousin. He has told Messour a number of lies about you and these lies have been repeated to the Caliph, so that if you went to them with your true story they would not believe you; you must wait for a fitting opportunity to go to Harun, for it is written in the stars that you are to become the object of his especial favour.”
“Alas!” answered Said, “I suppose then I must submit for the present to be the servant of Kalum-Bek. But one favour you might be able to grant me. I have been brought up to the use of arms, and my greatest pleasure is to take part in tournaments where there is fighting with lance and sword. Every week the youths of this town meet together and engage in such a tournament, but only the best-born are allowed to compete, a shopman’s assistant would certainly not be allowed to enter the lists. Could you manage to let me have a horse, a suit of clothes and weapons, and to alter my face so that I should not be recognised?”
“That is a wish such as does credit to a noble youth,” replied the fairy. “Your mother’s father was the bravest man in Syria and his spirit seems to have descended on you. Take note of this house. Every week you may come here and you will find awaiting you a horse, two armed servants, robes and weapons, also a wash for your face that will transform you completely. And now, Said, farewell! Persevere in your wise and virtuous conduct and you will find that in six months’ time your whistle will sound when you blow it, and Zuleima’s ear will not be deaf to it.”
The young man parted from his protectress with thanks, carefully noted the position of the house, and went back to the Bazaar.
He arrived at the right moment to rescue his master, Kalum-Bek. The shop was crowded with people, the boys were dancing round Kalum and taunting him, and the older people stood by and laughed. The merchant was in a furious rage. He stood with a shawl in one hand and a veil in the other. The uproar was caused by Said’s absence, for scarcely had he left than Kalum took his stand at the door and began to cry his wares, but nobody would buy from the ugly old man.
Kalum had noticed two men walking up and down the Bazaar, evidently looking out for something. In reality they had come to buy presents for their wives and had been commanded by them to purchase only from the handsome young shopman.
At length Kalum called to them: “Here, my masters, you will find everything you require by me. Shawls and veils of the finest quality.”
“That may be, my good man,” they replied, “but it has become the fashion amongst the women to buy their goods from a certain handsome young man named Said, and we are looking out for him. If you can direct us to him we will come and buy from you another time.”
“Allah is good,” said Kalum, grinning in friendly fashion, “the prophet has led you to the right door. You wish to buy veils from the handsome young shopman, then step inside, this is his shop.”