第70章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

Tell me thy casefor thou art become to me dearer than my soul.'So Bedreddin told him all that had befallen him from first to last；and the cook said'O my lord Bedreddinthis is indeed a strange thing and a rare story；butO my sonkeep thy case secrettill God grant thee reliefand abide here with me meanwhilefor I am childless and will adopt thee as my son.'And Bedreddin answered，'I will wellO uncle.'With this the cook went to the bazaar，where he bought him a handsome suit of clothes and made him put it onthen carried him to the Cadi and formally acknowledged him as his son. So Bedreddin passed in Damascus for the cook's son and abode with himsitting in the shop to take the money.

To return to the Lady of Beauty. When the day broke and she awoke from sleepshe missed Bedreddin from her side and thought he had gone to the lavatoryso lay expecting him awhilewhen behold，her father entered. Now he was sore at heart by reason of what had passed between him and the Sultan and for that he had married his daughter by force to one of his servantsand he a lump of a hunchbacked groom；and he said to himself'If she have suffered this damnable fellow to possess herI will kill her.'So he came to the door of the alcove and cried out'HoLady of Beauty！'

She replied'Here am IO my lord'；and came out tottering for joywith a face whose brightness and beauty had redoubled for that she had lain in the arms of that gazelleand kissed the ground before her father. When the Vizier saw her thushe said to her'O accursed womandost thou rejoice in this groom？'

At these wordsthe Lady of Beauty smiled and said'O my lord，let what happened yesterday sufficewhen all the folk were laughing at me and flouting me with that groomwho is not worth the paring of one of my husband's nails. By AllahI never in all my life passed a pleasanter night！So do not mock me by reminding me of that hunchback.'When her father heard thishe was filled with rage and glared at hersaving'Out on thee！what words are these？ It was the hunchbacked groom that lay with thee.'For God's sake，'replied the Lady of Beauty'do not mention him to memay God curse his father！And mock me notfor the groom was only hired for ten dinars to conjure the evil eye from usand he took his hire and departed. As for meI entered the bridal chamberwhere I found my true husband sitting in the alcovehim before whom the singers had unveiled me and who flung them the red gold by handsfultill he made all the poor there rich；and I passed the night in the arms of my sprightly husbandwith the black eyes and joined eyebrows.'When her father heard thisthe light in his eyes became darknessand he cried out at her，saying'O wantonwhat is this thou sayest？ Where are thy senses？'O my father，'rejoined she'thou breakest my heart with thy persistence in making mock of me！Indeedmy husband，who took my maidenheadis in the wardrobe and I am with child by him.'The Vizier rosewonderingand entered the draught-house，where he found the hunchbacked groom with his head in the slit and his heels in the air. At this sight he was confounded and said'This is none other than the hunchback.'So he called to him'Hallohunchback！'The groom made no answer but a grunt，thinking it was the Afrit who spoke to him. But the Vizier cried out at himsaying'Speakor I will cut off thy head with this sword.'Then said the hunchback'By AllahO Chief of the AfritsI have not lifted my head since thou didst set me here；soGod on theehave mercy on me！'What is this thou sayest？'

quoth the Vizier. 'I am no Afrit；I am the father of the bride.'

'It is enough that though hast already gone nigh to make me lose my life，'replied the hunchback'go thy ways ere he come upon thee who served me thus. Could ye find none to whom to marry me but the mistress of an Afrit and the beloved of a buffalo？ May God curse him who married me to her and him who was the cause of it？'Then said the Vizier to him'Comeget up out of this place.'Am I mad，'answered the groom'that I should go with thee without the Afrit's leave？ He said to me'When the sun risesget up and go thy way.'So has the sun risen or no？ for I dare not budge till then.'Who brought thee hither？'asked the Vizier；and the hunchback replied'I came here last night to do an occasionwhen beholda mouse came out of the water and squeaked and grew to a buffalo and spoke to me words that entered my ears. Then he left me here and went awayaccursed be the bride and he who married me to her！'The Vizier went up to him and set him on his feet；and he went outrunningnot crediting that the sun had risenand repaired to the Sultanto whom he related what had befallen him with the Afrit. Meanwhilethe Vizier returned to the bride's chambertroubled in mind about his daughterand said to her'O my daughterexpound thy case to me.'O my father，'answered she'what more can I tell thee？

Indeedthe bridegroomhe before whom they displayed me yesterdaylay with me all night and took my virginityand I am with child by him. If thou believe me notthere is his turban，just as he left iton the settleand his trousers under the bedwith I know not what wrapped up in them.'When her father heard thishe entered the alcove and found Bedreddin's turban；so he took it up and turning it aboutsaid'This is a Vizier's turbanexcept that it is of the Mosul cut.'Then he perceived an amulet sewn in the cap of the turban so he unsewed the lining and took it out；then took the trousersin which was the purse of a thousand dinars. In the latter he found the duplicate of Bedreddin's docket of sale to the Jewnaming him as Bedreddin Hassanson of Noureddin Ali of Cairo. No sooner had he read thisthan he cried out and fell down in a swoon；and when he revivedhe wondered and said'There is no god but God the Omnipotent！O my daughterdost thou know who took thy maidenhead？'No，'answered she；and he said'It was thy cousinmy brother's sonand these thousand dinars are thy dowry'Glory be to God！Would I knew how this had come about！'