children were carried along. "Hullo! head-man! give us the news which you have for us." And he said, "What have I got for you?" And they said, "Tell us, head-man of ours." And he said, "The master has not had a son born, he has a lion." And he said, "Look how Sit-in-the-kitchen has uncovered his face to-day before his father." "What is it, head-man?" And he said, "To-day is the day for people to eat dates." "Is it true, head-man?" And he said, "Yes, indeed."
And he said, "Don't go and wake him before we go and make him presents. He who has fowls, let him take fowls; he who has a goat, let him take a goat; he who has cleaned rice, let him take rice; he who has rice in the husk, let him take rice in the husk; he who has wheat, let him take wheat; he who has money, let him take money; but millet and maize, don't take those things.
The people went to their houses, and came; and he who had fowls to bring, brought them; and he who had a goat to bring brought it; and he who had cleaned rice to bring brought it; and he who had rice in the husk to bring brought it; and he who had wheat to bring brought it; and he who had money to bring brought it. And they brought the drum, and found him asleep under the date-tree.
And they went there and carried him away, with horns, and with clarionets and drums, with clapping of hands and shrieks of joy, even to his father's house.
When his father heard the noise coming along the road—and the bunches of dates were carried in baskets made of fresh leaves—when he saw the plantation slaves coming with rejoicing—when he saw his child, too, carried higher than all, Sultan Majnún knew, "To-day I shall eat dates." And he called, "My wife!" And she answered, "Here, master." And he said, "The master of the
