第94章 STORY OF THE HUNCHBACK(16)

Then he turned to me and said'KnowO my sonthat she who first came to thee was my eldest daughter. I brought her up in strict seclusion and when she came to womanhoodI sent her to Cairo and married her to my brother's son. After awhilehe died and she came back to me： but she had learnt profligate habits from the natives of Cairo： so she visited thee four times and at last brought her younger sister. Now they were sisters by the same mother and much attached to each other；and when this happened to the eldershe let her sister into her secretand she desired to go out with her. So she asked thy leave and carried her to thee；after which she returned aloneand I questioned her of her sisterfinding her weeping for her；but she said'I know nothing of her.'Howeverafter thisshe told her mother privily what had happened and how she had killed her sister；and her mother told me. Then she ceased not to weep and say'By AllahI will never leave weeping for her till I die！'

And so it fell out. ThisO my sonis what happenedand now I desire that thou baulk me not in what I am about to say to thee；

it is that I purpose to marry thee to my youngest daughterfor she is a virgin and born of another motherand I will take no dower from theebut on the contrary will appoint thee an allowanceand thou shalt be to me as my very son.'I will well，'replied I；'how could I hope for such good fortune？'Then he sent at once for the Cadi and the witnesses and married me to his daughterand I went in to her. Moreoverhe got me a large sum of money from the chief of the market and I became in high favour with him. Soon afternews came to me that my father was dead so the governor despatched a courier to fetch me the property he had left behind himand now I am living in all prosperity. This is how I came to lose my right hand.'His story amazed me （continued the Jew） and I abode with him three days，after which he gave me much money and I set out and travelled，till I reached this thy city. The sojourn liked me wellso I took up my abode here and there befell me what thou knowest with the hunchback.'Quoth the King'This thy story is not more wonderful than that of the hunchbackand I will certainly hang you all. Howeverthere still remains the tailorwho was the head of the offending.'Then he said to the tailor'O tailorif thou canst tell me aught more wonderful than the story of the hunchbackI will pardon you all your offenses.'So the tailor came forward and said'KnowO King of the agethat a most rare thing happened to me yesterday before I fell in with the hunchback.

The Tailor's Story.

Yesterday morning early I was at an entertainment given by a friend of mineat which there were assembled near twenty men of the people of the cityamongst them tailors and silk-weavers and carpenters and other craftsmen. As soon as the sun had risen，they set food before us that we might eatwhen beholdthe master of the house enteredand with him a comely young mana stranger from Baghdaddressed in the finest of clothes and perfectly handsomeexcept that he was lame. He saluted uswhile we rose to receive him；and he was about to sit downwhen he espied amongst us a certain barber；whereupon he refused to sit and would have gone away. But we stopped him and the host seized him and adjured himsaying'What is the reason of thy coming in and going out again at once？'By AllahO my lord，'answered he，'do not hinder mefor the cause of my turning back is yonder barber of ill-omen sitting there.'When the host heard thishe wondered and said'How comes this young manwho is from Baghdad. to be troubled in his mind about this barber？'Then we looked at the young man and said to him'Tell us the reason of thine anger against the barber.'O company，'replied he'there befell me a strange adventure with this barber in my native city of Baghdad；he was the cause of the breaking of my leg and of my lamenessand I have sworn that I will never sit in the same place with him nor tarry in any city of which he is an inhabitant. I left Baghdadto be rid of himand took up my abode in this city and loI find him with you！But now not another night shall passbefore I depart hence.'So we begged him to sit down and tell us what had passed between him and the barber in Baghdadwhereat the latter changed colour and hung down his head. Then said the young man'KnowO companythat my father was one of the chief merchants of Baghdadand God had vouchsafed him no child but myself. When I grew up to man's estatemy father was translated to the mercy of Godleaving me great wealth in money and slaves and servantsand I began to dress handsomely and feed daintily. Now God had made me a hater of womenand one dayas I was going along one of the streets of Baghdada company of women stopped the way before me；so I fled from themand entering a by-street without an outletsat down upon a stone bench at the other end. I had not sat longbefore the lattice of one of the houses in the street opened and a young ladyas she were the moon at its fullnever in my life saw I her likeput forth her head and began to water some flowers she had on the balcony. Then she turned right and left and seeing me watching hersmiled and shut the window and went away.