"
So he arose and kissing the earth three times before the Sultan,
wished him abiding glory and length of life. Then Bedreddin
increased in honour and estate, so that his report spread into
all countries, and he abode in the enjoyment of all the delights
and comforts of life, he and his uncle and family, till Death
overtook him.'
When the Khalif Haroun er Reshid heard this story from the mouth
of his Vizier Jaafer, he wondered and said, 'It behoves that
these stories be written in letters of gold.' Then he set the
slave at liberty and assigned the young man who had killed his
wife such a monthly allowance as sufficed to make his life easy.
Moreover he gave him one of his female slaves to wife, and he
became one of his boon-companions.
STORY OF THE HUNCHBACK
There lived once in the city of Bassora a tailor, who was
openhanded and loved pleasure and merrymaking: and he was wont,
he and his wife, to go out by times, a-pleasuring, to the
public places of recreation. One day they went out as usual and
were returning home in the evening, when they fell in with a
hunchback, the sight of whom would make the disappointed laugh
and dispel chagrin from the sorrowful. So they went up to look at
him and invited him to go home and make merry with them that
night. He consented and accompanied them to their house;
whereupon, the night being now come, the tailor went out to the
market and buying fried fish and bread and lemon and conserve of
roses by way of dessert, set them before the hunchback, and they
ate.
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