Pagina 794 de 1116

Then said he, "By Allah, O my son, I know not whether to thank

thee or thy father; for my entertainment this day is all due to

thy bounty and beneficence; and, although none of my company be

worthy of it, yet I have a set of honourable men, to wit Zantut

the bath-keeper and Sali'a the corn-chandler; and Silat the

bean-seller; and Akrashah the greengrocer; and Humayd the

scavenger; and Sa'id the camel-man; and Suwayd the porter; and

Abu Makarish the bathman;[FN#621] and Kasim the watchman; and

Karim the groom. There is not among the whole of them a bore or a

bully in his cups; nor a meddler nor a miser of his money, and

each and every hath some dance which he danceth and some of his

own couplets which he caroleth; and the best of them is that,

like thy servant, thy slave here, they know not what much talking

is nor what forwardness means. The bath keeper sings to the

tom-tom[FN#622] a song which enchants; and he stands up and

dances and chants,

'I am going, O mammy, to fill up my pot.'