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Oh, the pity of it, and how I long to meet him!" Then he wept

with exceeding weeping, and his father also wept seeing him weep

and for his own bereavement, which recalled to him his long

separation from dear friends and from his mother; and the Eunuch

was moved to pity for him. Then they ate together till they were

satisfied; and Ajib and the slave rose and left the shop. Hereat

Hasan the Bassorite felt as though his soul had departed his body

and had gone with them; for he could not lose sight of the boy

during the twinkling of an eye, albeit he knew not that Ajib was

his son. So he locked up his shop and hastened after them; and he

walked so fast that he came up with them before they had gone out

of the western gate.