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My father is a merchant-jeweller possessed of great wealth, who

hath white and black slaves travelling and trading on his account

in ships and on camels, and trafficking with the most distant

cities; but he was not blessed with a child, not even one. Now on

a certain night he dreamed a dream that he should be favoured

with a son, who would be short lived; so the morning dawned on my

father bringing him woe and weeping. On the following night my

mother conceived and my father noted down the date of her

becoming pregnant.[FN#267] Her time being fulfilled she bare me;

whereat my father rejoiced and made banquets and called together

the neighbours and fed the Fakirs and the poor, for that he had

been blessed with issue near the end of his days.