第60章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(35)

I fetched the doctors to her and she recovered slowly；and I would have had her take a bath；but she said'There is something I long forbefore I go to the bath.'What is it？'asked Iand she replied'I have a longing for an applethat I may smell it and bite a piece of it.'So I went out into the city at once and sought for applesbut could find nonethoughhad they been a dinar apieceI would have bought them. I was vexed at this and went home and said to my wife'By Allahmy cousinI can find none.'She was distressed，being yet weakand her weakness increased greatly on her that nightand I passed the night full of anxiety. As soon as it was dayI went out again and made the round of the gardensbut could find no apples anywhere. At last I met an old gardenerof whom I enquired for themand he said to me'O my sonthis fruit is rare with us and is not now to be found but in the garden of the Commander of the Faithful at Bassorawhere the gardener keeps them for the Khalif's table.'I returned home，troubled at my ill-successand my love and concern for her moved me to undertake the journey to Bassora. So I set out and travelled thither and bought three apples of the gardener there for three dinarswith which I returned to Baghdadafter having been absent fifteen days and nightsgoing and coming. I went in to my wife and gave her the apples；but she took no pleasure in them and let them lie by her side；for weakness and fever had increased on her and did not leave her for ten daysat the end of which time she began to mend. So I left the house and went to my shopwhere I sat buying and selling. About mid-day a great ugly black slave came into the bazaarhaving in his hand one of the three appleswith which he was playing；so I called to him and said'Pritheegood slavetell me whence thou hadst that applethat I may get the fellow to it.'He laughed and answered，'I had it of my mistress；for I had been absent and on my return I found her lying illwith three apples by her side： and she told me that the cuckold her husband had made a journey for them to Bassorawhere he had bought them for three dinars. So I ate and drank with her and took this one from her.'When I heard thisthe world grew black in my eyesand I rose and shut my shop and went homebeside myself for excess of rage. I looked for the apples and finding but two of themsaid to my wife，'Where is the third apple？'Quoth she'I know not what is come of it.'This convinced me of the truth of the slave's storyso I took a knife and coming behind herwithout word saidgot up on her breast and cut her throat；after which I hewed her in pieces and wrapping her in her veil and a piece of carpetsewed the whole up hurriedly in the basket. Then I put the basket in the chest and locking it upset it on my mule and threw it into the Tigris with my own hands. SoGod on theeO Commander of the Faithfulmake haste to hang mefor I fear lest she sue for vengeance on me at the Day of Resurrection！For when I had thrown her into the riverunknown of anyI returned home and found my eldest boy weepingthough he knew not what I had done with his mother；and I said to him 'Why dost thou weepmy son？'He replied'I took one of my mother's apples and went down with it into the street to play with my brotherswhen loa tall black slave snatched it from my handsaying'Whence hadst thou this？'

Quoth I'My father journeyed to Bassora for it and brought it to my motherwho is illwith two other apples for which he paid three dinars. Give it back to me and do not get me into trouble for it.'He paid no heed to my words and I demanded the apple a second and a third time；but he beat me and went away with it. I was afraid that my mother would beat me on account of the apple；so for fear of herI went without the city with my brothers and abode there until night closed in upon usand indeed I am in fear of her： so by AllahO my fathersay nothing to her of thisor it will add to her illness.'When I heard what the child saidI knew that the slave was he who had forged a lie against my wife and was certified that I had killed her wrongfully. So I wept soreand presentlythis old manher fathercame in and I told him what had passed；and he sat down by my side and wept and we ceased not weeping half the night. This was five days ago and from that time to thiswe have never ceased to bewail her and mourn for hersorrowing sore for that she was unjustly put to death. All this came of the lying story of the slaveand this was the manner of my killing her；so I conjure theeby the honour of thy forefathersmake haste to kill me and do her justice on mefor there is no living for me after her.'The Khalif wondered at his story and said'By Allahthe young man is excusableand I will hang none but the accursed slave！'Then he fumed to Jaafer and said to him'Bring me the accursed slave，who was the cause of this calamityand if thou bring him not in three daysthou shalt suffer in his stead.'And Jaafer went out，weeping and saying'VerilyI am beset by deaths；the pitcher does not come off for aye unbroken. I can do nothing in this matter；but He who saved me the first time may save me again. By AllahI will not leave my house during the three days that remain to meand God who is the Truth shall do what He will.'So he kept his house three daysand on the fourth dayhe summoned Cadis and witnesses and made his last dispositions and bade farewell to his childrenweeping. Presently in came a messenger from the Khalif and said to him'The Commander of the Faithful is beyond measure wroth and sends to seek thee and swears that the day shall not pass without thy being hanged.'When Jaafer heard thishe wept and his children and slaves and all that were in the house wept with him. Then they brought him his little daughterthat he might bid her farewell. Now he loved her more than all his other children；so he pressed her to his breast and kissed her and wept over his separation from her；when lohe felt something round in her bosom and said to her'What's this in thy bosom？'O my father，'answered she'it is an apple with the name of our lord the Khalif written on it. Our slave Rihan brought it to me four days ago and would not let me have ittill I gave him two dinars for it.'When Jaafer heard thishe put his hand into her bosom and took out the apple and knew it and rejoicedsaying'O swift Dispeller of trouble ！'Then he sent for the slave and said to him'Harkye Rihanwhence hadst thou this apple？'By AllahO my lord，'replied he'though lying might get me offyet is it safer to tell the truth！

I did not steal it from thy palace nor from the palace of His Highness nor the garden of the Commander of the Faithful. The fact is that some days agoI was passing along a certain alley of this citywhen I saw some children playing and this apple in the hand of one of them. So I snatched it from himand he wept and said'O youththis apple is my mother's and she is ill. She longed for applesand my father journeyed to Bassora and bought her three for three dinarsand I took one of them to play with.'

But I paid no heed to what he said and beat him and went off with the apple and sold it to my little mistress for two dinars.'When Jaafer heard thishe wondered that the death of the damsel and all this misery should have been caused by his slave and grieved for the relation of the slave to himselfwhilst rejoicing over his own delivery： and he repeated the following verses：

If through a servant misfortune befall theeSpare not to save thine own life at his cost.

Servants in plenty thou'lt find to replace himLife for life neveronce it is lost.

Then he carried the slave to the Khalifto whom he related the whole story；and the Khalif wondered greatly and laughed till he fell backward and ordered the story to be recorded and published among the folk. Then said Jaafer'O Commander of the Faithful，wonder not at this storyfor it is not more marvellous than that of Noureddin Ali of Cairo and his son Bedreddin Hassan.'What is that？'asked the Khalif；'and how can it be more marvellous than this story？'O Commander of the Faithful，'answered Jaafer'I will not tell it thee except thou pardon my slave.'Quoth the Khalif'If it be indeed more marvellous than that of the three applesI grant thee thy slave's life；but if notI will kill him.'