第82章

methinks he hath a hanging face.' Then，turning to Jawan he added，'Eat and Allah give thee small good of it.' So Jawan put out his hand again and taking another mouthful，was rolling it in his palm like the first，when behold，the Queen cried out to the guards saying，'Bring me yonder man in haste and let him not eat the mouthful in his hand.' So they ran and seizing him as he hung over the dish，brought him to her，and set him in her presence，whilst the people exulted over his mishap and said one to the other，'Serve him right，for we warned him，but he would not take warning.Verily，this place is bound to be the death of whoso sitteth therein，and yonder rice bringeth doom to all who eat of it.' Then said Queen Zumurrud to Jawan，'What is thy name and trade and wherefore comest thou to our city？' Answered he，'O our lord the Sultan，my name is Othman； I work as a gardener and am come hither in quest of somewhat I have lost.' Quoth Zumurrud，'Here with a table of sand！' So they brought it，and she took the pen and drawing a geomantic scheme，considered it awhile，then raising her head，exclaimed，'Woe to thee，thou loser！ How darest thou lie to Kings？ This sand telleth me that of a truth thy name is Jawan the Kurd and that thou art by trade a robber，taking men's goods in the way of unright and slaying those whom Allah hath forbidden to slay save for just cause.' And she cried out upon him，saying，'O hog，tell me the truth of thy case or I will cut off thy head on the spot.' Now when he heard these words，he turned yellow and his teeth chattered； then，deeming that he might save himself by truth-telling，he replied，'O King，thou sayest sooth； but I repent at thy hands henceforth and turn to Allah Almighty！' She answered，'It were not lawful for me to leave a pest in the way of Moslems；' and cried to her guards，'Take him and skin him and do with him as last month ye did by his like.' They obeyed her commandment； and，when the Hashish-eater saw the soldiers seize the man，he turned his back upon the dish of rice，saying，''Tis a sin to present my face to thee！'

And after they had made an end of eating，they dispersed to their several homes and Zumurrud returned to her palace and dismissed her attendants.Now when the fourth month came round，they went to the race-course and made the banquet，according to custom，and the folk sat awaiting leave to begin.Presently Queen Zumurrud entered and，sitting down on her throne，looked at the tables and saw that room for four people was left void before the dish of rice，at which she wondered.Now as she was looking around，behold，she saw a man come trotting in at the gate of the horse-course； and he stayed not till he stood over the food-trays； and，finding no room save before the dish of rice，took his seat there.She looked at him and knowing him for the accursed Christian who called himself Rashid al-Din，said in her mind，'How blessed is this device of the food，[312] into whose toils this infidel hath fallen' Now the cause of his coming was extraordinary，and it was on this wise.When he returned from his travels，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-third Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the accursed，who had called himself Rashid al-Din，returned from travel，his household informed him that Zumurrud was missing and with her a pair of saddle-bags full of money； on hearing which ill tidings he rent his raiment and buffeted his face and plucked out his beard.Then he despatched his brother Barsum in quest of her to lands adjoining and，when he was weary of awaiting news of him，he went forth himself，to seek for him and for the girl，whenas fate led him to the city of Zumurrud.He entered it on the first day of the month and finding the streets deserted and the shops shut and women idling at the windows，he asked them the reason why，and they told him that the King made a banquet on the first of each month for the people，all of whom were bound to attend it，nor might any abide in his house or shop that day； and they directed him to the racing-plain.So he betook himself thither and found the people crowding about the food，and there was never a place for him save in front of the rice-dish now well-known.Here then he sat and put forth his hand to eat thereof，whereupon Zumurrud cried out to her guards，saying，'Bring me him who sitteth over against the dish of rice.' So they knew him by what had before happened and laid hands on him and brought him before Queen Zumurrud，who said to him，'Out on thee！

What is thy name and trade，and what bringeth thee to our city？'