"
Then said the Lady of Beauty to him, "What ails thee to stand
agape and seem perplexed? Thou wast not thus the first part of
the night." He laughed and said to her, "How long have I been
absent from thee?" "God preserve thee!" exclaimed she. "The name
of God encompass thee! Thou didst but go out an hour ago to do an
occasion and return. Hast thou lost thy wits?" When Bedreddin
heard this, he laughed and said, "Thou art right; but when I went
out from thee, I forgot myself in the closet and dozed and dreamt
that I was a cook in Damascus and abode there twelve years and
that there came to me a boy, the son of some great man, and with
him an eunuch." Here he put his hand to his forehead and feeling
the scar made by the stone, said, "By Allah, O lady, it must have
been true, for here is the scar made by the stone, with which he
smote me and cut my forehead open. So it would seem as if it had
really happened. But perhaps I dreamt it, when we embraced and
fell asleep together: for meseemed I journeyed to Damascus
without turban or drawers and set up as a cook there." Then he
was perplexed and considered awhile and said, "By Allah, I
fancied also that I made a mess of pomegranate-seed and put too
little pepper in it. By Allah, I must have slept in the closet
and dreamt all this!" "God on thee," said the Lady of Beauty,
"tell me what else thou didst dream.
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