but by and by I will compound the simples whereof it is composed and will make it before thee.Know,O my son Hasan,that to every ten pounds of copper thou must set half a drachm of that which is in this paper,and the whole ten will presently become unalloyed virgin gold;'presently adding,'O my son,O Hasan;there are in this paper three ounces,[22] Egyptian measure;and when it is spent,I will make thee other and more.' Hasan took the packet and finding therein a yellow powder,finer than the first,said to the Persian,'O my lord,what is the name of this substance and where is it found and how is it made?' But he laughed,longing to get hold of the youth,and replied,'Of what dost thou question? Indeed thou art a froward boy! Do thy work and hold thy peace.'So Hasan arose and fetching a brass platter from the house,shore it in shreds and threw it into the melting-pot;then he scattered on it a little of the powder from the paper and it became a lump of pure gold.When he saw this;he joyed with exceeding joy and was filled with amazement and could think of nothing save the gold;but,whilst he was occupied with taking up the lumps of metal from the melting-pot,the Persian pulled out of his turband in haste a packet of Cretan Bhang,which if an elephant smelt,he would sleep from night to night,and cutting off a little thereof,put it in a piece of the sweetmeat.Then said he,'O Hasan,thou art become my very son and dearer to me than soul and wealth,and I have a daughter whose like never have eyes beheld for beauty and loveliness;symmetry and perfect grace.Now I see that thou befittest none but her and she none but thee;wherefore,if it be Allah's will;I will marry thee to her.'Replied Hasan,'I am thy servant and whatso good thou dost with me will be a deposit with the Almighty!'and the Persian rejoined,'O my son,have fair patience and fair shall betide thee.'Therewith he gave him the piece of sweetmeat and he took it and kissing his hand,put it in his mouth,knowing not what was hidden for him in the after time for only the Lord of Futurity knoweth the Future.But hardly had he swallowed it,when he fell down,head foregoing heels,and was lost to the world;whereupon the Persian,seeing him in such calamitous case,rejoiced exceedingly and cried,'Thou hast fallen into my snares,O gallows-carrion,O dog of the Arabs!
第6章(1 / 3)