صفحة 590 من 1116

By Allah, O my brother, this be no dream, and if it were a dream,

where is the bag of gold I bore with me and where are my turband

and my robe, and my trousers?" Then he rose and entered the city,

threading its highways and by-ways and bazar-streets; and the

people pressed upon him and jeered at him, crying out "Madman!

madman!" till he, beside himself with rage, took refuge in a

cook's shop. Now that Cook had been a trifle too clever, that is,

a rogue and thief; but Allah had made him repent and turn from

his evil ways and open a cook-shop; and all the people of

Damascus stood in fear of his boldness and his mischief. So when

the crowd saw the youth enter his shop, they dispersed being

afraid of him, and went their ways. The Cook looked at Badr

al-Din and, noting his beauty and loveliness, fell in love with

him forthright and said, "Whence comest thou, O youth?