Pagina 518 van 1116

Then he took the slave's hand and, leading him to the Caliph,

related the story from first to last and the Caliph marvelled

with extreme astonishment, and laughed till he fell on his back

and ordered that the story be recorded and be made public amongst

the people. But Ja'afar said, "Marvel not, O Commander of the

Faithful, at this adventure, for it is not more wondrous than the

History of the Wazir Nur al-Din Ali of Egypt and his brother

Shams al-Din Mohammed. - Quoth the Caliph, "Out with it; but what

can be stranger than this story?" And Ja'afar answered, "O

Commander of the Faithful, I will not tell it thee, save on

condition that thou pardon my slave;" and the Caliph rejoined,

"If it be indeed more wondrous than that of the three apples, I

grant thee his blood, and if not I will surely slay thy slave."

So Ja'afar began in these words the

TALE OF NUR AL-DIN AND HIS SON.