第75章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

And she said to Agib'O my sonwhere hast thou been？'Quoth he，'We have been in the city of Damascus. Then she rose and set before him confection of pomegranate-seed and said to the eunuch，'Sit down and eat with thy young master.'The eunuch said to himself'By Allahwe have no mind to eat！'but he sat down，and so did Agibthough his belly was full of what he had already eaten and drunk. Now the conserve lacked sugarso he took a piece of bread and dipped it therein and atebut found it insipidfor that he was already surfeitedand exclaimed'Faugh！what is this nasty mess？'O my son，'said his grandmother'dost thou find fault with my cookery？ I cooked this myselfand there is not a cook in the land can compare with me，except it be thy father Bedreddin Hassan.'O my lady，'replied Agib'this thy dish is naught；for we saw but now in the city a cook who dresses pomegranate-seedso that the very smell of it opens the heart and the taste would give a full man an appetite；and as for thy messcompared with hisit is worth neither much nor little.'When his grandmother heard thisshe was exceeding wroth and said to the eunuch'Out on theedost thou corrupt my grandson and take him into cookshops？'The eunuch was frightened and deniedsaying'We did not enter the shopbut only saw it in passing.'By Allah！'said Agib'we went in and ateand it was better than thine.'Then his grandmother rose and went and told her brother-in-lawwho was incensed against the eunuch and sending for himsaid to him'Why didst thou take my son into a cookshop？'We did not go in，'replied the eunuch. But Agib said，'We did go in and ate of pomegranate-seedtill we were full；and the cook gave us to drink of iced sherbet of sugar.'At thisthe Vizier's anger redoubled and he questioned the eunuchbut he still denied. Then said the Vizier'If what thou sayest be true，sit down and eat before us.'So he sat down and tried to eatbut could not and threw away the morselsaying'O my lordindeed I am full since yesterday.'By thisthe Vizier knew that he had eaten at the cook's and bade his slaves throw him down and beat him. So they drubbed himtill he roared for mercy and said，'O my lorddo not beat meand I will tell thee the truth.'

Whereupon the Vizier stopped the beating and said'Speak the truth.'Quoth the eunuch'Know then that we did enter the shop of a cookwho was dressing pomegranate seedand he set some of it before us；by AllahI never ate the like of it in my life，nor did I ever taste aught nastier than that which is before us！'

Bedreddin's mother was enraged at this and said to the eunuch，'Thou must go back to the cook and fetch us a dish of his pomegranate-seed and show it to thy masterthat he may say which is the betterhis or mine.'Good，'answered he. So she gave him a dish and half a dinarand he returned to the shop and said to Bedreddin'We have made a wager about thy cookery in our lord's householdfor they have pomegranate-seed there also；so give me half a dinar's worth of thy confection and let it be of thy best，for I have eaten my bellyful of stick on account of thy cookery.'

Bedreddin laughed and answered'By Allahnone can dress this dish aright but myself and my motherand she is far away.'Then he filled the dish with pomegranate-seed and finishing it off with musk and rose-watergave it to the eunuchwho hastened back with it and delivered it to Bedreddin's mother. No sooner had she tasted it and remarked the excellence of its flavour and cookerythan she knew who had dressed it and shrieked and fell down in a swoonto the amazement of the Vizierwho sprinkled rose-water on hertill she came to herself and said'If my son be yet of this worldnone made this conserve but he！Without doubtthis cook is my son Bedreddin Hassanfor none knew how to dress this dish but he and Iand I taught him.'The Vizier rejoiced greatly at her wordsand said'O how I long to see my brother's son！I wonder if the days will indeed reunite us with him！But it is to God alone that we look for reunion with him.'

Then he went out forthright and said to his men'Let twenty of you go to the cook's shop and demolish it；then tie his hands behind him with the linen of his turbansaying'It was thou madest that vile mess of pomegranate-seed，'and bring him hither by forcebut without doing him any hurt.'And they replied'It is well.'Then he mounted and riding to the palaceforegathered with the Viceroy of Damascus and showed him the Sultan's letters-patent. He kissed them and laying them on his headsaid to the Vizier'Who is it hath offended against thee？'Quoth the Vizier，'He is a cook of this city.'So the Viceroy at once despatched his chamberlains to the shop and they went thither and found it in ruins and everything in it broken；for whilst the Vizier was at the palacehis men had done his bidding and carried Bedreddin to the tentswhere they were then awaiting their master's returnwhilst Bedreddin said'I wonder what they can have found in the pomegranate-seed to bring matters to this pass！'When the Vizier returned to the tentsafter having gotten the Viceroy's permission to take his debtor and depart with himhe called for the cookand they brought Bedreddin before himwith his hands bound behind his back. When he saw his unclehe wept sore and said'O my lordwhat is my offence against thee？'Art thou he who made the mess of pomegranate-seed？'asked Shemseddin. 'Yes，'replied Bedreddin；'didst thou find aught in it to call for the cutting off of my head？'Quoth the Vizier'That were the least of thy desert.'O my lord，'said Bedreddin'wilt thou not tell me my crime and what ails the pomegranate-seed？