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the abundance of musk in the fritters. “It is my custom,” said the other, “to have three pennyweights of musk and half that quantity of ambergris put into each fritter.” All this time my brother was wagging his jaws and moving his head and mouth, till the host said, “Enough of this! Bring us the dessert.” Then said he to him, “Eat of these almonds and walnuts and raisins and of this and that,” naming different kinds of dried fruits, “and be not ashamed.” “O my lord,” answered my brother, “indeed I am full: I can eat no more.” “O my guest,” repeated the other, “if thou have a mind to eat more, for God’s sake do not remain hungry!” “O my lord,” replied my brother, “how should one who has eaten of all these dishes be hungry?” Then he considered and said to himself “I will do that which shall make him repent of having acted thus.” Presently the host called out, “Bring me the wine,” and making as if it had come, feigned to give my brother to drink, saying, “Take this cup, and if it please thee, let me know.” “O my lord,” replied he, “it has a pleasant smell, but I am used to drink old wine twenty years of age.” “Then knock at this door,”[1] said his host; “for thou canst not drink of aught better.” “O my lord, this is of thy bounty!” replied my brother and made as if he drank. “Health and pleasure to thee!” exclaimed the host, and feigned, in like wise, to fill a cup and drink it off and hand a second cup to my brother, who pretended to drink and made as if he were drunken. Then he took the Barmecide unawares and raising his arm, till the whiteness of his arm-pit appeared, dealt him such a buffet on the neck that the place rang to it. Then he gave him a second cuff and the host exclaimed, “What is this, O vile fellow?” “O my lord,” replied my brother, “thou hast graciously admitted thy slave into thine abode and fed him with thy victual and plied him with old wine,
- ↑ i.e. try this.
