75
answered, ‘We hear and obey.’ Then she applied herself to making ready for the journey and furnished herself with victual and treasure and camels and mules and so forth; after which she set out with Ali Shar, and they fared on, till they arrived at his native place, where he entered his house and gave alms and largesse. God vouchsafed him children by her, and they both lived the happiest of lives, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Companies. Glory be to God, the Eternal without cease, and praised be He in every case!
THE LOVES OF JUBEIR BEN UMEIR AND THE LADY BUDOUR.
It is related the Khalif Haroun er Reshid was restless one night and could not sleep; so that he ceased not to toss from side to side for very restlessness, till, growing weary of this, he called Mesrour and said to him, ‘O Mesrour, look what may solace me of this my restlessness.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered Mesrour, ‘wilt thou walk in the garden of the palace and divert thyself with the sight of its flowers and gaze upon the stars and note the beauty of their ordinance and the moon among them, shining on the water?’ ‘O Mesrour,’ replied the Khalif, ‘my heart inclines not to aught of this.’ ‘O my lord,’ continued Mesrour, ‘there are in thy palace three hundred concubines, each of whom hath her separate lodging. Do thou bid retire each into her own apartment and then go thou about and divert thyself with gazing on them, without their knowledge.’ ‘O Mesrour,’ answered Haroun, ‘the palace is mine and the girls are my property: moreover, my soul inclineth not to aught of this.’ ‘O my lord,’ said Mesrour, ‘summon the doctors and sages and poets and bid them contend before thee in argument and recite verses and tell thee tales and
