第774页 / 共1116页

When I told her that, she cried at me, 'If thou hold not thy

peace, O hag of ill omen, and leave not such talk, I will entreat

thee as thou deservest and do thee die by the foulest of deaths.'

But needs must I have at her a second time."[FN#606] When I heard

this it added ailment to my ailment and the neighbours visited me

and judged that I was not long for this world; but after some

days, the old woman came to me and, putting her mouth close to my

ear, whispered, "O my son; I claim from thee the gift of good

news." With this my soul returned to me and I said, "Whatever

thou wilt shall be thine." Thereupon she began, "Yesterday I went

to the young lady who, seeing me broken in spirit and shedding

tears from reddened eyes, asked me, 'O naunty[FN#607] mine, what

ails thee, that I see thy breast so straitened?'; and I answered

her, weeping bitterly, 'O my lady, I am just come from the house

of a youth who loves thee and who is about to die for sake of

thee!' Quoth she (and her heart was softened), 'And who is this

youth of whom thou speakest?'; and quoth I, 'He is to me as a son

and the fruit of my vitals.