s to whom said he, “My friend the young merchant
hath invited me to accompany him to Cairo, for solacing ourselves with
the sight of the city, and sweareth that he will not march except he
carry us with him, me and my wife. So, O my son, I make thee my steward
in the shop, and if the King ask for me, say thou to him:—He is gone
with his Harim to the Holy House of Allah[454].” Then he sold some of
his effects and bought camels and mules and Mamelukes, together with a
slave-girl[455], and placing her in a litter, set out from Bassorah
after ten days. His friends farewelled him and none doubted but that he
had taken his wife and gone on the Pilgrimage, and the folk rejoiced in
this, for that Allah had delivered them from being shut up in the
mosques and houses every Friday. Quoth some of them, “Allah grant he may
never return to Bassorah, so we may no more be boxed up in the mosques
and houses every Friday!”; for that this usage had caused the people of
Bassorah exceeding vexation. Quoth another, “Methinks he will not return
from this journey, by reason of the much-praying of the people of
Bassorah against him[456].” And yet another, “An he return, ’twill not
be but in reversed case[457].” So the folk rejoiced with exceeding joy
in the jeweller’s departure, after they had been in mighty great
chagrin, and even their cats and dogs were comforted. When Friday came
round, however, the crier proclaimed as usual that the people should
repair to the mosques two hours before prayer-time or else hide
themselves in their houses, together with their cats and dogs; whereat
their breasts were straitened and they assembled in general assembly and
betaking themselves to the King’s divan, stood between his hands and
said, “O King of the age, the jeweller hath taken his Harim and departed
on the pilgrimage to the Holy House of Allah: so the cause of our
restraint hath ceased to be, and why therefore are we now shut up?”
Quoth the King, “How came this traitor to depart without telling me?
But, when he c