第6章

but by and by I will compound the simples whereof it is composed and will make it before thee.Know，O my son Hasan，that to every ten pounds of copper thou must set half a drachm of that which is in this paper，and the whole ten will presently become unalloyed virgin gold；'presently adding，'O my son，O Hasan；there are in this paper three ounces，[22] Egyptian measure；and when it is spent，I will make thee other and more.' Hasan took the packet and finding therein a yellow powder，finer than the first，said to the Persian，'O my lord，what is the name of this substance and where is it found and how is it made？' But he laughed，longing to get hold of the youth，and replied，'Of what dost thou question？ Indeed thou art a froward boy！ Do thy work and hold thy peace.'So Hasan arose and fetching a brass platter from the house，shore it in shreds and threw it into the melting-pot；then he scattered on it a little of the powder from the paper and it became a lump of pure gold.When he saw this；he joyed with exceeding joy and was filled with amazement and could think of nothing save the gold；but，whilst he was occupied with taking up the lumps of metal from the melting-pot，the Persian pulled out of his turband in haste a packet of Cretan Bhang，which if an elephant smelt，he would sleep from night to night，and cutting off a little thereof，put it in a piece of the sweetmeat.Then said he，'O Hasan，thou art become my very son and dearer to me than soul and wealth，and I have a daughter whose like never have eyes beheld for beauty and loveliness；symmetry and perfect grace.Now I see that thou befittest none but her and she none but thee；wherefore，if it be Allah's will；I will marry thee to her.'Replied Hasan，'I am thy servant and whatso good thou dost with me will be a deposit with the Almighty！'and the Persian rejoined，'O my son，have fair patience and fair shall betide thee.'Therewith he gave him the piece of sweetmeat and he took it and kissing his hand，put it in his mouth，knowing not what was hidden for him in the after time for only the Lord of Futurity knoweth the Future.But hardly had he swallowed it，when he fell down，head foregoing heels，and was lost to the world；whereupon the Persian，seeing him in such calamitous case，rejoiced exceedingly and cried，'Thou hast fallen into my snares，O gallows-carrion，O dog of the Arabs！

This many a year have I sought thee and now I have found thee，O Hasan！'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty-first Night； She pursued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Hasan the goldsmith ate the bit of sweetmeat given to him by the Ajami and fell fainting to the ground，the Persian rejoiced exceedingly and cried，'This many a year have I sought thee and now I have found thee！' Then he girt himself and pinioned Hasan's arms and binding his feet to his hands laid him in a chest，which he emptied to that end and locked it upon him.

Moreover，he cleared another chest and laying therein all Hasan's valuables，together with the piece of the first gold-lump and the second ingot which he had made locked it with a padlock.Then he ran to the market and fetching a porter，took up the two chests and made off with them to a place within sight of the city，where he set them down on the sea-shore，hard by a vessel at anchor there.Now this craft had been freighted and fitted out by the Persian and her master was awaiting him；so，when the crew saw him，they came to him and bore the two chests on board.Then the Persian called out to the Rais or Captain，saying，'Up and let us be off，for I have done my desire and won my wish.' So the skipper sang out to the sailors，saying，'Weigh anchor and set sail！'And the ship put out to sea with a fair wind.So far concerning the Persian；but as regards Hasan's mother，she awaited him till supper-time but heard neither sound nor news of him；so she went to the house and finding it thrown open，entered and saw none therein and missed the two chests and their valuables；wherefore she knew that her son was lost and that doom had overtaken him；and she buffeted her face and rent her raiment crying out and wailing and saying，'Alas，my son，ah！ Alas，the fruit of my vitals，ah！' And she recited these couplets；'My patience fails me and grows anxiety；* And with your absence growth of grief I see.

By Allah，Patience went what time ye went！ * Loss of all Hope how suffer patiently？

When lost my loved one how can' joy I sleep？ * Who shall enjoy such life of low degree？

Thou'rt gone and，desolating house and home，* Hast fouled the fount erst flowed from foulness free：

Thou wast my fame，my grace'mid folk，my stay；* Mine aid wast thou in all adversity！

Perish the day，when from mine eyes they bore * My friend，till sight I thy return to me！'

And she ceased not to weep and wail till the dawn，when the neighbours came in to her and asked her of her son，and she told them what had befallen him with the Persian，assured that she should never，never see him again.Then she went round about the house，weeping，and wending she espied two lines written upon the wall；so she sent for a scholar，who read them to her；and they were these；'Leyla's phantom came by night，when drowsiness had overcome me；towards morning while my companions were sleeping in the desert；But when we awoke to behold the nightly phantom，I saw the air vacant and the place of visitation was distant.'[23]