第78章

As for forgetting you or love 'tis thing I never knew；*Nor in my thought shall ever pass a living thing but you.'

And when he ended his verses，he sighed and shed tears and repeated also these couplets，'Divinely were inspired his words who brought me news of you； *

For brought he unto me a gift was music in mine ear：

Take he for gift，if him content，this worn-out threadbare robe，* My heart，which was in pieces torn when parting from my fete.'

He waited till night darkened and，when came the appointed time，he went to the quarter she had described to him and saw and recognised the Christian's house； so he sat down on the bench under the gallery.Presently drowsiness overcame him and he slept （Glory be to Him who sleepeth not！for it was long since he had tasted sleep，by reason of the violence of his passion，and he became as one drunken with slumber.And while he was on this wise，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Seventeenth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that while he lay asleep，behold，a certain thief，who had come out that night and prowled about the skirts of the city to steal-somewhat，happened by the decree of Destiny，on the Nazarene's house.He went round about it，but found no way of climbing up into it，and presently on his circuit he came to the bench，where he saw Ali Shar asleep and stole his turband； and，as he was taking it suddenly Zumurrud looked out and seeing the thief standing in the darkness，took him for her lord； whereupon she let herself down to him by the rope with a pair of saddle-bags full of gold.Now when the robber saw that，he said to himself，'This is a wondrous thing，and there must needs be some marvellous cause to it.' Then he snatched up the saddle-bags，and threw Zumurrud over his shoulders and made off with both like the blinding lightening.

Quoth she，'Verily，the old woman told me that thou west weak with illness on my account； and here thou art，stronger than a horse.' He made her no reply； so she put her hand to his face and felt a beard like the broom of palm-frond used for the Hammam，[297] as if he were a hog which had swallowed feathers and they had come out of his gullet； whereat she took fright and said to him，'What art thou？' 'O strumpet，' answered he，'I am the sharper Jawan[298] the Kurd，of the band of Ahmad al-Danaf； we are forty sharpers，who will all piss our tallow into thy womb this night，from dusk to dawn.' When she heard his words，she wept and beat her face，knowing that Fate had gotten the better of her and that she had no resource but resignation and to put her trust in Allah Almighty.So she took patience and submitted herself to the ordinance of the Lord，saying，'There is no god but the God！ As often as we escape from one woe，we fall into a worse.' Now the cause of Jawan's coming thither was this：

he had said to Calamity-Ahmad，'O Sharper-captain，[299] I have been in this city before and know a cavern without the walls which will hold forty souls； so I will go before you thither and set my mother therein.Then will I return to the city and steal-somewhat for the luck of all of you and keep it till you come； so shall you be my guests and I will show you hospitality this day.' Replied Ahmad al-Danaf，'Do what thou wilt.' So Jawan went forth to the place before them and set his mother in the cave； but，as he came out he found a trooper lying asleep，with his horse picketed beside him； so he cut his throat and，taking his clothes and his charger and his arms，hid them with his mother in the cave，where also he tethered the horse.Then he betook himself to the city and prowled about，till he happened on the Christian's house and did with Ali Shar's turband and Zumurrud and her saddle-bags as we have said.He ceased not to run，with Zumurrud on his back，till he came to the cavern，where he gave her in charge of his mother，saying，'Keep thou watch over her till I return to thee at first dawn of day，' and went his ways.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Eighteenth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that quoth Kurdish Jawan to his mother，'Keep thou watch over her till I come back to thee at first dawn of day，' and went his ways.Now Zumurrud said to herself，'Why am I so heedless about saving my life and wherefore await till these forty men come？： they will take their turns to board me，till they make me like a water-logged ship at sea.' Then she turned to the old woman，Jawan's mother，and said to her，'O my aunt，wilt thou not rise up and come without the cave，that I may louse thee in the sun？'[300]

Replied the old woman，'Ay，by Allah，O my daughter： this long time have I been out of reach of the bath； for these hogs cease not to carry me from place to place.' So they went without the cavern，and Zumurrud combed out her head hair and killed the lice on her locks，till the tickling soothed her and she fell asleep；

whereupon Zumurrud arose and，donning the clothes of the murdered trooper，girt her waist with his sword and covered her head with his turband，so that she became as she were a man.Then，mounting the horse after she had taken the saddle-bags full of gold，she breathed a prayer，'O good Protector，protect me I adjure thee by the glory of Mohammed （whom Allah bless and preserve！），' adding these words in thought，'If I return to the city belike one of the trooper's folk will see me，and no good will befal me.' So she turned her back on the town and rode forth into the wild and the waste.And she ceased not faring forth with her saddle-bags and the steed，eating of the growth of the earth and drinking of its waters，she and her horse，for ten days and，on the eleventh，she came in sight of a city pleasant and secure from dread，and established in happy stead.Winter had gone from it with his cold showers，and Prime had come to it with his roses and orange-blossoms and varied flowers； and its blooms were brightly blowing； its streams were merrily flowing and its birds warbled coming and going.And she drew near the dwellings and would have entered the gate when she saw the troops and Emirs and Grandees of the place drawn up，whereat she marvelled seeing them in such unusual-case and said to herself，'The people of the city are all gathered at its gate： needs must there be a reason for this.'