Pagina 414 de 1116

As we entered each of the youths took his seat on his own couch

and the old man seated himself upon the smaller one in the middle

saying to me, "O youth, sit thee down on the floor and ask not of

our case nor of the loss of our eyes." Presently he rose up and

set before each young man some meat in a charger and drink in a

large mazer, treating me in like manner; and after that they sat

questioning me concerning my adventures and what had betided me:

and I kept telling them my tale till the night was far spent.

Then said the young men, "O our Shaykh, wilt not thou set before

us our ordinary? The time is come." He replied, "With love and

gladness," and rose and entering a closet disappeared, but

presently returned bearing on his head ten trays each covered

with a strip of blue stuff. He set a tray before each youth and,

lighting ten wax candles, he stuck one upon each tray, and drew

off the covers and lo! under them was naught but ashes and

powdered charcoal and kettle soot.