burton--1001-nights--sample

and I hold it a marvellous, then will I give thee a third of his blood.”
Thereupon the old man began to tell
The First Shaykh’s Story.
Know O Jinni! that this gazelle is the daughter of my paternal uncle,
my own flesh and blood, and I married her when she was a young
maid, and I lived with her well-nigh thirty years, yet was I not blessed
with issue by her. So I took me a concubine who brought to me the
boon of a male child fair as the full moon, with eyes of lovely shine
and eyebrows which formed one line, and limbs of perfect design.
Little by little he grew in stature and waxed tall; and when he was a lad
fifteen years old, it became needful I should journey to certain cities
and I travelled with great store of goods. But the daughter of my uncle
(this gazelle) had learned gramarye and egromancy and clerkly craft
from her childhood; so she bewitched that son of mine to a calf, and
my handmaid (his mother) to a heifer, and made them over to the
herdsman’s care. Now when I returned after a long time from my
journey and asked for my son and his mother, she answered me, saying
“Thy slave-girl is dead, and thy son hath fled and I know not whither
he is sped.”
So I remained for a whole year with grieving heart, and streaming
eyes until the time came for the Great Festival of Allah. Then sent I to
my herdsman bidding him choose for me a fat heifer; and he brought
me one which was the damsel, my handmaid, whom this gazelle had
ensorcelled. I tucked up my sleeves and skirt and, taking a knife,
proceeded to cut her throat, but she lowed aloud and wept bitter tears.
Thereat I marvelled and pity seized me and I held my hand, saying to
the herd, “Bring me other than this.” Then cried my cousin, “Slay her,
61