But the envious man
set out and journeyed till he rejoined him and contrived to throw
him into this well. Now the news of him hath this very night come
to the Sultan of the city and he purposes to visit him to-morrow,
on account of his daughter. 'And what ails his daughter?' asked
another. 'She is possessed of an evil spirit,' replied the first,
'for the genie Meimoun ben Demdem has fallen in love with her;
but if the pious man knew the remedy, he could cure her; and it
is the easiest of things.' 'And what is the remedy?' asked the
other. Quoth the first speaker 'The black cat that is with him in
the oratory has a white spot, the size of a dirhem, at the end of
her tail: he should take seven white hairs from this spot and
fumigate the princess therewith; whereupon the Marid will leave
her and never return, and she will be cured immediately.' And the
envied man heard all this. When the day broke and the morning
appeared and shone, the fakirs came to seek their chief and found
him rising from the well, wherefore he was magnified in their
eyes; and he took the black cat and plucking seven white hairs
from the spot at the end of her tail, laid them aside. The sun
had hardly risen when the King arrived and entered the hermitage,
attended by his chief officers, leaving the rest of his suite
without. The envied man bade him welcome and drawing near to him,
said, 'Shall I tell thee the object of thy visit?' 'Yes,'
answered the King.
Pages:
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157