' So the Vizier went and returned with
the envious man: and the King said, 'Give him a thousand dinars
from my treasury and twenty loads of merchandise and send him
under an escort to his own city.' Then he bade him farewell and
sent him away and forbore to punish him for what he had done with
him See, O Afrit, how the envied man forgave his envier, who had
always hated him and borne him malice and had journeyed to him
and made shift to throw him into the well: yet did he not requite
him his ill-doing, but on the contrary was bountiful to him and
forgave him." Then I wept before him exceeding sore, and repeated
the following verses:
I prithee, pardon mine offence: for men of prudent mind To pardon
unto those that sin their sins are still inclined.
If I, alas! contain in me all fashions of offence, Let there in
thee forgiveness fair be found in every kind.
For men are bound to pardon those that are beneath their hand, If
they themselves with those that be above them grace would
find.
Quoth the Afrit, "I will neither kill thee nor let thee go free,
but I will assuredly enchant thee." Then he tore me from the
ground and flew up with me into the air, till I saw the earth as
it were a platter midmost the water. Presently he set me down on
a mountain and took a little earth, over which he muttered some
magical words, then sprinkled me with it, saying, "Quit this
shape for that of an ape.
Pages:
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159