As he
came forth of the garden-gate, followed by the other merchants,
behold, they saw a great cloud of dust and heard a great noise of
crying and lamentation. They looked, and behold, it was the chief
of the police with his officers and the townspeople who had come
out to look on, and my master's family in front of them, weeping
sore and shrieking and lamenting. The first to accost my master
were his wife and children; and when he saw them, he was
confounded and laughed and said to them, "How is it with you all
and what befell you in the house?" When they saw him, they
exclaimed, "Praised be God for thy safety!" and threw themselves
upon him, and his children clung to him, crying, "Alas, our
father! Praised be God for thy preservation, O our father!" Then
said his wife, "Thou art well, praised be God who hath shown us
thy face in safety!" And indeed she was confounded and her reason
fled, when she saw him, and she said, "O my lord, how did you
escape, thou and thy friends the merchants?" "And how fared it
with thee in the house?" asked he. "We were all in good health
and case," answered they; "nor has aught befallen us in the
house, save that thy slave Kafour came to us, bareheaded, with
his clothes torn and crying out, 'Alas, my master! Alas, my
master!' So we asked what was the matter, and he said, 'The wall
of the garden has fallen on my master and his friends, and they
are all dead.
Pages:
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495