Then, taking off the bandage in the darkened room, she bade him sew
together the quarters of the corpse, limb to its limb, and casting a
cloth upon the body, said to the tailor: "Make haste and sew a
shroud according to the size of this dead man, and I will give thee
therefor yet another ducat." Baba Mustafa quickly made the cerecloth
of fitting length and breadth, and Morgiana paid him the promised
ashrafi, then, once more bandaging his eyes, led him back to the place
whence she had brought him. After this she returned hurriedly home and
with the help of Ali Baba washed the body in warm water and donning
the shroud, laid the corpse upon a clean place ready for burial.
This done, Morgiana went to the mosque and gave notice to an imam
that a funeral was awaiting the mourners in a certain household, and
prayed that he would come to read the prayers for the dead, and the
imam went back with her. Then four neighbors took up the bier and bore
it on their shoulders and fared forth with the imam and others who
were wont to give assistance at such obsequies. After the funeral
prayers were ended four other men carried off the coffin, and Morgiana
walked before it bare of head, striking her breast and weeping and
wailing with exceeding loud lament, whilst Ali Baba and the
neighbors came behind.
Pages:
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883