' 'By Allah, I cannot take it,'
answered he; 'that which I have drunk suffices me.' 'By Allah,'
said she, 'thou must indeed drink it.' So he took the cup and
drank; and she filled him a third cup, which he took and was
about to drink, when behold, Noureddin opened his eyes and
sitting up, exclaimed, 'Hello, Gaffer Ibrahim, what is this? Did
I not adjure thee just now, and thou refusedst, saying, "I have
not done such a thing these thirteen years"?' 'By Allah,' replied
he (and indeed he was abashed), 'it is her fault, not mine.'
Noureddin laughed and they sat down again to carouse, but the
damsel turned to Noureddin and whispered to him, 'O my lord,
drink and do not press him, and I will show thee some sport with
him.' Then she began to fill her master's cup and he to fill to
her, and so they did time after time, till at last Ibrahim looked
at them and said, 'What manner of good fellowship is this? God's
malison on the glutton who keeps the cup to himself! Why dost
thou not give me to drink, O my brother? What manners are these,
O Blessed One!' At this they laughed till they fell backward;
then they drank and gave him to drink and ceased not to carouse
thus, till a third part of the night was past. Then said the
damsel, 'O Gaffer Ibrahim, with thy leave, I will light one of
these candles.' 'Do so,' said he; 'but light no more then one.'
So she rose and beginning with one candle, lighted fourscore and
sat down again.
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