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Burton, Richard Francis

"The Arabian Nights"

" Quoth the Caliph:
"How great is this King! His letter hath shown me this, and as for the
mightiness of his dominion thou hast told us what thou hast
eyewitnessed. By Allah, he hath been endowed with wisdom, as with wide
rule."
Then I related to the Commander of the Faithful all that had
befallen me in my last voyage, at which he wondered exceedingly and
bade his historians record my story and store it up in his treasuries,
for the edification of all who might see it. Then he conferred on me
exceeding great favors, and I repaired to my quarter and entered my
home, where I warehoused all my goods and possessions. Presently my
friends came to me and I distributed presents among my family and gave
alms and largess, after which I yielded myself to joyance and
enjoyment, mirth and merrymaking, and forgot all that I had suffered.
Such, then, O my brothers, is the history of what befell me in my
sixth voyage, and tomorrow, Inshallah! I will tell you the story of my
seventh and last voyage, which is still more wondrous and marvelous
than that of the first six. (Saith he who telleth the tale): Then be
bade lay the table, and the company supped with him, after which he
gave the porter a hundred dinars, as of wont, and they all went
their ways, marveling beyond measure at that which they had heard.


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