Upon this
Bedreddin laughed heartily, and said, What a comical fancy is
this! I assure you, madam, this dream of mine will be very
pleasant to you. Do but imagine, if you please, that I was at the
gate of Damascus in my shirt and drawers, as I am here now; that
I entered the town with the halloo of a mob who followed and
insulted me; that I fled into a pastry-cook's, who adopted me,
taught me his trade, and left me all he had when he died; and
that after his death I kept a shop. In fine, madam, I had a great
number of other adventures too tedious to recount; and all I can
say is, that it was not amiss that I awaked, for they were going
to nail me to a stake. Oh, Lord, and for what (cried the lady,
feigning astonishment) would they have used you so cruelly? You
must certainly have committed some enormous crime. Not in the
least, replied Bedreddin; it was nothing in the world but a mere
trifle, the most ridiculous thing you can think of. All the crime
I was charged with, was selling a cream-tart that had no pepper
in it. As for that matter, said the beautiful lady, laughing
heartily, I must say they did you great injustice. Ah, madam,
replied he, that was not all; for this cursed cream-tart was
every thing in my shop broken to pieces, and myself bound,
fettered, and flung into a chest, where I lay so close, that
methinks I am there still.
Pages:
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445