第127章 GHANIM BEN EYOUB THE SLAVE OF LOVE.(1)

There lived once at Damascus，in the days of the Khalif Haroun er Reshid，a wealthy merchantwho had a son like the moon at its full and withal sweet of speechcalled Ghanim ben Eyouband a daughter called Fitnehunique in her beauty and grace. Their father died and left them abundant wealth and amongst other things a hundred loads of silk and brocade and bladders of musk，on each of which was written，'This is of the loads intended for Baghdad，'he having been about to make the journey thither，when God the Most High took him to Himself. After awhilehis son took the loads and bidding farewell to his mother and kindred and townsfolk，set out for Baghdad with a company of merchants，committing himself to God the Most High，who decreed him safety，so that he arrived without hindrance at that city. Here he hired a handsome house，which he furnished with carpets and cushions and hangings，and stored his goods therein and put up his mules and camels. Then he abode awhile，resting，whilst the merchants and notables of Baghdad came and saluted him；after which he took a parcel containing ten pieces of costly stuffs，with the prices written on themand carried it to the bazaarwhere the merchants received him with honour and made him sit down in the shop of the chief of the market，to whom he delivered the parcel of stuffs. He opened it and taking out the stuffssold them for him at a profit of two dinars on every one of prime cost. At this Ghanim rejoiced and went on to sell his stuffs，little by little，for a whole year. On the first day of the following year，he repaired，as usual，to the bazaar in the market-placebut found the gate shut and enquiring the reason，was told that one of the merchants was dead and that all the others had gone to wail in his funeral and was asked if he were minded to gain the favour of God by going with them. He assented and enquired where the funeral was to be heldwhereupon they directed him to the place.

So he made the ablution and repaired with the other merchants to the place of prayerwhere they prayed over the dead，then went before the bier to the burial-place without the city and passed among the tombs till they came to the grave. Here they found that the dead man's people had pitched a tent over the tomb and brought thither lamps and candles. So they buried the dead and sat down to listen to the reading of the Koran over the tomb.

Ghanim sat with them，being overcome with bashfulness and saying to himself'I cannot well go away till they do.'They sat listening to the recitation till nightfall，when the servants set the evening meal and sweetmeats before them and they ate till they were satisfied，then sat down again，after having washed their hands. But Ghanim was troubled for his house and property being in fear of thieves，and said to himself，'I am a stranger here and thought to be rich，and if I pass the night abroad，the thieves will steal the money and the goods.'So he arose and left the companyhaving first asked leave to go about a necessary business，and following the beaten trackcame to the gate of the city，but found it shut and saw none going or coming nor heard aught but the dogs barking and the wolves howling，for it was now the middle of the night. At this he exclaimed'There is no power and no virtue but in God！I was in fear for my property and came back on its account，but now I find the gate shut and am become in fear for my life！'And he retraced his stepsseeking a place where he might pass the nighttill he found a tomb enclosed by four walls，with a palm-tree in its midst and a gate of granite.

The gate stood open；so he entered and lay down，but sleep came not to him and fright and oppression beset him，for that he was alone among the tombs. So he rose to his feet and opening the door，looked out and saw，in the distance，a light making for the tomb from the direction of the city-gate. At this he was afraid and hastening to shut the gate，climbed up into the palm-tree and hid himself among the branches. The light came nearer and nearer，till he could see three black slavestwo carrying a chest and a third a lantern，an adze and a basket of plaster. When they came to the tomb，one of those who were carrying the chest cried out to the other，'Hello，Sewab！'What ails thee，O Kafour？'said the other. 'Were we not here at nightfall，'asked the first'and did we not leave the gate open？'True，'replied Sewab. 'See，'said the other，'it is now shut and barred.'How small is your wit！'broke in the bearer of the lanternwhose name was Bekhit.

'Do ye not know that the owners of the gardens use to come out of Baghdad to tend themand when the night overtakes them，they enter this place and shut the gate，for fear the blacks like ourselves should catch them and roast them and eat them？'Thou art right，'replied the others；'butby Allahnone of us is less of wit than thou！'If you do not believe me，'said Bekhit，'let us go into the tomb and I will unearth the rat for you；I doubt not but that，when he saw the light and us making for the tomb，he took refuge in the palm-treefor fear of us.'When Ghanim heard thishe said to himself，'O most damnable of slaves，may God not have thee in His keeping for this thy craft and quickness of wit！There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most Highthe Supreme！How shall I escape from these blacks？'Then said the two bearers to him of the lantern'Climb over the wall and open the door to us，O Bekhitfor we are tired of carrying the chest on our shoulders；and thou shalt have one of those that we seize inside，and we will fry him for thee so featly that not a drop of his fat shall be lost.'But he said，'I am afraid of somewhat that my little sense has suggested to me；we should do better to throw the chest over the wall；for it is our treasure.