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me long for all these meats, and I see nothing.’ Quoth the Moor, ‘Thou art welcome, O Jouder!’ and putting his hand into the saddle-bags, pulled out a dish of gold, containing two hot fricasseed fowls. Then he put in his hand a second time and pulled out a golden dish, full of kabobs;[1] nor did he give over taking out dishes from the saddle-bags, till he had brought forth the whole of the four-and-twenty he had named, whilst Jouder looked on in amazement.
Then said the Moor, ‘Eat, good fellow.’ And Jouder said to him, ‘O my lord, meseems thou carriest in yonder saddle-bags a kitchen and cooking-folk!’ The Moor laughed and replied, ‘These are enchanted saddle-bags and have a servant, who would bring us a thousand dishes an hour, if we called for them.’ Quoth Jouder, ‘By Allah, this is indeed a fine pair of saddle-bags!’ Then they ate their fill and threw away what was left; after which the Moor replaced the empty dishes in the saddle-bags and putting in his hand, drew out an ewer. They drank and making the ablutions, prayed the afternoon-prayer; after which Abdussemed replaced the ewer and the two caskets in the saddle-bags and throwing them over the mule’s back, mounted and took Jouder up behind him. Then said he, ‘O Jouder, knowest thou how far we have come, since we left Cairo?’ ‘Not I, by Allah,’ replied he, and Abdussemed, ‘We have come a whole month’s journey.’ ‘And how is that?’ asked Jouder. ‘Know, O Jouder,’ replied the Moor, ‘that this mule under us is a Marid of the Jinn, that every day performs a year’s journey; but, for thy sake, she hath gone at her leisure.’
Then they set out again and fared on westward till nightfall, when they halted and the Moor brought out the evening meal from the saddle-bags, and in like manner, in the morning, he took forth wherewithal to break their fast.
- ↑ Rissoled mutton.
