burton--1001-nights--sample

thou hast made no journey abroad but hast remained at home; and be
not cast down by thine ill-luck.” He took the share in great glee and
opened for himself a shop; and matters went on quietly for a few
nights and days. But presently my second brother (yon other dog), also
setting his heart upon travel, sold off what goods and stock-in-trade he
had, and albeit we tried to stay him he would not be stayed: he laid in
an outfit for the journey and fared forth with certain wayfarers.
After an absence of a whole year he came back to me, even as my
elder brother had come back; and when I said to him, “O my brother,
did I not dissuade thee from travel?” he shed tears and cried, “O my
brother, this be destiny’s decree: here I am a mere beggar, penniless
and without a shirt to my back.” So I led him to the bath, O Jinni, and
clothing him in new clothes of my own wear, I went with him to my
shop and served him with meat and drink. Furthermore I said to him,
“O my brother, I am wont to cast up my shop-accounts at the head of
every year, and whatso I shall find of surplusage is between me and
thee.” 18 So I proceeded, O Ifrit, to strike a balance and, finding two
thousand dinars of profit, I returned praises to the Creator (be He
extolled and exalted!) and made over one half to my brother, keeping
the other to myself. Thereupon he busied himself with opening a shop
and on this wise we abode many days.
After a time my brothers began pressing me to travel with them;
but I refused, saying, “What gained ye by your voyage that I should
gain thereby?” As I would not give ear to them we went back each to
his own shop where we bought and sold as before. They kept urging
me to travel for a whole twelvemonth, but I refused to do so till full six
years were past and gone when I consented with these words, “O my
18
In Arabic the speaker always puts himself first, even if he address the King, without
intending incivility.
67