' So the broker
went to Noureddin and said to him, 'O my lord, thy slave is gone
for nothing!' 'How so?' said he. The broker answered, 'We had
opened the biddings for her at four thousand five hundred dinars,
when that tyrant Muin ben Sawa passed through the market and when
he saw the damsel, she pleased him and he said to me, "Call me
the buyer for four thousand dinars, and thou shalt have five
hundred for thyself." I doubt not but he knows she belongs to
thee, and if he would pay thee down her price at once, it were
well; but I know, of his avarice and upright, he will give thee a
written order on some of his agents and will send after thee to
say to them, "Give him nothing." So as often as thou shalt go to
seek the money, they will say, "We will pay thee presently," and
so they will put thee off day after day, for all thy high spirit,
till at last, when they are tired of thine importunity, they will
say, "Show us the bill." Then, as soon as they get hold of it,
they will tear it up, and so thou wilt lose the girl's price.'
When Noureddin heard this, he looked at the broker and said
to him, 'What is to be done?' 'I will give thee a counsel,'
answered he, 'which if thou follow, it will be greatly to thine
advantage.' 'What is that?' asked Noureddin. 'Do thou come to me
presently,' said the broker, 'when I am standing in the midst of
the market and taking the girl from my hand, give her a cuff and
say to her, "O baggage, I have kept my vow and brought thee down
to the market, because I swore that I would put thee up for sale
and make the brokers cry thee.
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