Страница 588 из 1116

At this he greatly marvelled and asked, "Where am I, O good folk;

and what causeth you thus to gather round me, and what have I had

to do with you?"; and they answered, "We found thee lying here

asleep during the call to dawn-prayer and this is all we know of

the matter, but where diddest thou lie last night?" [FN#434] "By

Allah, O good people," replied he, "I lay last night in Cairo."

Said somebody, "Thou hast surely been eating Hashish," [FN#435]

and another, "He is a fool;" and a third, "He is a citrouille;"

and a fourth asked him, "Art thou out of thy mind? thou sleepest

in Cairo and thou wakest in the morning at the gate of

Damascus-city!" [FN#436] Cried he, "By Allah, my good people, one

and all, I lie not to you: indeed I lay yesternight in the land

of Egypt and yesternoon I was at Bassorah." Quoth one, "Well!

well!"; and quoth another, "Ho! ho!"; and a third, "So!