صفحة 578 من 1116

Quoth the Ifrit, "Is the world so strait to thee thou findest

none to marry save my lady-love?" But as he was silent the Ifrit

continued, "Answer me or I will do thee dwell in the dust!" "By

Allah," replied the Gobbo, "O King of the Buffaloes, this is no

fault of mine, for they forced me to wed her; and verily I wot

not that she had a lover amongst the buffaloes; but now I repent,

first before Allah and then before thee." Said the Ifrit to him,

"I swear to thee that if thou fare forth from this place, or thou

utter a word before sunrise, I assuredly will wring thy neck.