burton--1001-nights--sample

call this article?” Whereto the damsel made answer, “The basil of the
bridges.” Cried the Porter, “Thank Allah for my safety: aid me and be
thou propitious, O basil of the bridges!”
They passed round the cup and tossed off the bowl again, when
the second lady stood up; and, stripping off all her clothes, cast herself
into the cistern and did as the first had done; then she came out of the
water and throwing her naked form on the Porter’s lap pointed to her
machine and said, “O light of mine eyes, do tell me what is the name
of this concern?” He replied as before, “Thy slit;” and she rejoined,
“Hath such term no shame for thee?” and cuffed him and buffeted him
till the saloon rang with the blows. Then quoth she, “O fie! O fie! how
canst thou say this without blushing?” He suggested, “The basil of the
bridges;” but she would not have it and she said, “No! no!” and struck
him and slapped him on the back of the neck. Then he began calling
out all the names he knew, “Thy slit, thy womb, thy coynte, thy
clitoris;” and the girls kept on saying, “No! no!” So he said, “I stick to
the basil of the bridges;” and all the three laughed till they fell on their
backs and laid slaps on his neck and said, “No! no! that’s not its proper
name.” Thereupon he cried, “O my sisters, what is its name?” and they
replied, “What sayest thou to the husked sesame-seed?”
Then the cateress donned her clothes and they fell again to
carousing, but the Porter kept moaning, “Oh! and Oh!” for his neck
and shoulders, and the cup passed merrily round and round again for a
full hour. After that time the eldest and handsomest lady stood up and
stripped off her garments, whereupon the Porter took his neck in
hand, and rubbed and shampoo’d it, saying, “My neck and shoulders
are on the way of Allah!” 44 Then she threw herself into the basin, and
44
i.e. common property for all to beat.
135