The Barber's Story of His Second Brother

So I said, Know, O Prince of the Faithful, that my second
brother, whose name was El-Heddar, was going one day to
transact some business, when an old woman met him, and
said to him, O man, stop a little, that I may propose to thee
a thing, which, if it please thee, thou shalt do for me. My
brother, therefore, stopped ; and she said to him, I will
guide thee to a thing, and rightly direct thee to it, on the
condition that thy words be not many. So he said, Com-
municate what thou hast to tell me : — and she proceeded
thus : — What sayest thou of a handsome house, with running
water, and fruit and wine, and a beautiful face to behold,
and a smooth cheek to kiss, and an elegant form to embrace ;
and to enjoy all these pleasures without interruption? Now,
if thou wilt act agreeably with the condition that I have
imposed upon thee, thou wilt see prosperity. — When my
brother had heard her words, he said to her, O my mistress,
how is it that thou hast sought me out in preference to all
the rest of the creation for this affair; and what is there in
me that hath pleased thee? She replied. Did I not say to
thee that thou must not be a person of many words? Be
silent then, and come with me.

The old woman then went her way, my brother following
her, eager to enjoy the pleasures which she had described
to him, until they had entered a spacious house, when she
went up with him to an upper story, and my brother per-
ceived that he was in a beautiful palace, in which he beheld
four damsels, than whom none more lovely had ever been
seen, singing with voices that would charm a heart as
insensible as stone. One of these damsels drank a cup of
wine; and my brother said to her. May it be attended with
health and vigour ! — and advanced to wait upon her ; but
she prevented his doing so, giving him to drink a cup of
wine; and as soon as he had drunk it, she slapped him on
his neck. When he found that she treated him thus, he
went out from t^ie chamber in anger, and with many words ;
but the old woman, following him, made a sign to him with
her eye that he should return: so he returned, and seated
himself, without speaking; and upon this, the damsel slapped
him again upon the back of his neck until he became sense-
less; after which, recovering, he withdrew again. The old
woman, however, overtook him, and said to him, Wait a
little, and thou shalt attain thy wish. — How many times,
said he, shall I wait a little before I attain it? The old
woman answered, When she hath become exhilarated with
wine thou shalt obtain her favour. He therefore returned
to his place, and resumed his seat. All the four damsels
then arose, and the old woman directed them to divest my
brother of his outer clothes, and to sprinkle some rose-water
upon his face; and .when they had done so, the most
beautiful one among them said to him, May Allah exalt
thee to honour! Thou hast entered my abode, and if thou
have patience to submit to my requisitions, thou wilt attain
thy wish. — O my mistress, he replied, I am thy slave, and
under thy authority. — Know then, said she, that I am
devotedly fond of frolic, and he who complieth with my
demands will obtain my favour. Then she ordered the
other damsels to sing; and they sang so that their hearers
were in an ecstasy ; after which the chief lady said to one
of the other damsels. Take thy master, and do what is
required, and bring him back to me immediately.

Accordingly, she took him away, ignorant of that which
she was about to do ; and the old woman came to him, and
said. Be patient; for there remaineth but little to do. He
then turned towards the damsel, and the old woman said to
him. Be patient: thou hast almost succeeded, and there
remaineth but one thing, which is, to shave thy beard. —
How, said he, shall I do that which will disgrace me among
the people? The old woman answered. She desireth this
only to make thee like a beardless youth, that there may be
nothing on thy face to prick her; for her heart is affected
with a violent love for thee. Be patient, therefore, and thou
shalt attain thy desire. — So my brother patiently submitted
to the damsel's directions : his beard was shaven, and he
was shorn also of his eyebrows and mustaches, and his face
was painted red, before the damsel took him back to the
chief lady, who, when she saw him, was at first frightened
at him, and then laughed until she fell backwards, and
exclaimed, O my master, thou hast gained me by these
proofs of thine amiable manners ! She then conjured him
by her life to arise and dance ; and he did so ; and there
was not a single cushion in the chamber that she did not
throw at him. In like manner also the other damsels threw
at him various things, such as oranges, and limes, and
citrons, until he fell down senseless from the pelting, while
they slapped him incessantly upon the back of his neck, and
cast, things in his face. But at length the old woman said
to him. Now thou hast attained thy wish. Know that there
remaineth to thee no more beating, nor doth there remain
for thee to do more than one thing, namely, this: it is her
custom, when she is under the influence of wine, to suffer no
one to come near her until she hath taken off her outer
clothes: thou, being prepared in the like manner, must run
after her, and she will run before thee as though she were
flying from thee; but cease not to follow her from place to
place until thou overtake her. He arose, therefore, and did
so: the lady ran before, and as he followed her, she passed
from chamber to chamber, and he still ran after her At
last he heard her utter a slight sound as she ran before him,
and, continuing his pursuit, he suddenly found himself in
the midst of the street.

This street was in the market of the leather-sellers, who
were then crying skins for sale; and when the people there
collected saw him in this condition, almost naked, with
shaven beard and eyebrows and mustaches, and with his
face painted red, they shouted at him, and raised a loud
laugh, and some of them beat him with the skins until he
became insensible. They then placed him upon an ass,
and conducted him to the Wali, who exclaimed, What is
this? — They answered. This descended upon us from the
house of the Wezir, in this condition. And the Wali in-
flicted upon him a hundred lashes,- and banished him from
the city: but I went out after him, and brought him back
privately into the city, and allotted him a maintenance.
Had it not been for my generous disposition, I had not
borne with such a person.