81
foreigner.’ When the porter heard this, he rose and fixing his eyes on them, said, ‘Sit still and do not meddle. Have you not read what is written on the door? It befits not folk, like yourselves, who come to us as mendicants, to loose your tongues on us.’ ‘We ask pardon of God, O fakir!’ answered they. ‘Our heads are before thee.’ The ladies laughed and making peace between them, set food before the Calenders. When they had eaten, they all sat down again to carouse, the portress serving the new comers, and the cup passed round awhile, till the porter said to the Calenders, ‘O brothers, have ye no story or rare trait to divert us withal?’ The Calenders, being warm with wine, called for musical instruments; so the portress brought them a tambourine and a lute and a Persian harp; and each Calender took one and tuned it and played and sang; and the girls joined in lustily and made a great noise. Whilst they were thus engaged, some one knocked at the gate and the portress rose and went to see who it was. Now the cause of this knocking was that, that very night, the Khalif Haroun er Reshid had gone down into the City, as was his wont, every now and then, to walk about for his diversion and hear what news was stirring, attended by his Vizier Jaafer and Mesrour his headsman, all three, as usual, disguised as merchants. Their way brought them to the house of the three ladies, where they heard the noise of musical instruments and of singing and merriment, and the Khalif said to Jaafer, ‘I have a mind to enter this house and listen to this music and see the singers.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered Jaafer, ‘these people are certainly drunk, and I fear lest some mischief betide us at their hands.’ ‘It matters not,’ rejoined the Khalif; ‘I must and will go in and I desire that thou contrive some pretext to that end.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied the Vizier and going up to the gate, knocked, whereupon the portress came down and opened. Jaafer came forward and kissing
