صفحة 769 من 1116

However there yet remains the Tailor who is the head of all the

offence;" and he added, "O Tailor, if thou canst tell me any

thing more wonderful than the story of the Hunchback, I will

pardon you all your offences." Thereupon the man came forward and

began to tell the

Tale of the Tailor.

Know, O King of the age, that most marvellous was that which

befell me but yesterday, before I foregathered with the Hunch

back. It so chanced that in the early day I was at the marriage

feast of one of my companions, who had gotten together in his

house some twenty of the handicraftsmen of this city, amongst

them tailors and silk spinners and carpenters and others of the

same kidney. As soon as the sun had risen, they set food[FN#601]

before us that we might eat when behold, the master of the house

entered, and with him a foreign youth and a well favoured of the

people of Baghdad, wearing clothes as handsome as handsome could

be; and he was of right comely presence save that he was lame of

one leg. He came and saluted us and we stood up to receive him;

but when he was about to sit down he espied amongst us a certain

man which was a Barber; whereupon he refused to be seated and

would have gone away.