" So they struck camp and the Vizier caused Bedreddin to
be put into a chest, which they locked and set on a camel. Then
they departed and journeyed till nightfall, when they halted to
eat and took Bedreddin out of his chest and fed him and locked
him up again. Then they set out again and travelled till they
reached Kumreh, where they took him out of the chest and brought
him before the Vizier, who said to him, "Art thou he who made the
mess of pomegranate-seed?" "Yes, O my lord," answered he; and
Shemseddin said, "Shackle him." So they shackled him and returned
him to the chest and fared on again, till they arrived at Cairo
and halted in the suburb of Er Reidaniyeh. Then the Vizier
commanded to take Bedreddin out of his chest and sent for a
carpenter, to whom he said, "Make a cross[FN#69] of wood for this
fellow." Quoth Bedreddin, "What wilt thou do with it?" "I mean
to nail thee upon it," replied the Vizier, "and parade thee
throughout the city." "And why wilt thou use me thus? asked
Bedreddin; and the Vizier answered, "Because of thy villainous
mess of pomegranate-seed and for that it lacked pepper." "And
because it lacked pepper," said Bedreddin, "wilt thou do all this
to me? Is it not enough that thou hast laid my shop in ruins and
smashed my gear and imprisoned me and fed me but once a day?" "It
lacked pepper," answered the Vizier; "and nothing less than death
is thy desert.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296