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her away from before him, saying, ‘By Allah, all my life long, since I have plied this craft, I never set eyes on the like of thee for unmannerliness nor aught more curst to me than thy star, for thou hast cut off my livelihood this day and I have gained nought by thee save cuffs on the neck and taking by the collar!’ Then he brought her to the shop of another merchant, owner of slaves and servants, and stationing her before him, said to her, ‘Wilt thou be sold to this my lord Alaeddin?’ She looked at him and seeing him to be humpbacked, said, ‘This fellow is a hunchback, and quoth the poet of him:
Shoulders drawn in and spine thrust out, ’twould seem as if to find A star that Satan promised him, indeed, he had a mind;
Or as the first stroke of a whip he’d tasted of and stood Still for amaze, whilst of the stroke to come he felt the wind.
And saith another:
Whene’er a hunchback mounts a mule, straightway A laughing-stock to all mankind are they.
Is he not laughable? So marvel not If she take fright with him and run away.
And another:
A hunchback often foulness adds to his deformity, And all men’s eyes upon the wight look with antipathy;
As ’twere a dry distorted branch, whose citrons, perched upon Its back, have bowed it to the ground, for length of days, is he.’
With this the broker hurried up to her and carrying her to another merchant, said to her, ‘Wilt thou be sold to this man?’ She looked at him and said, ‘This man is blue-eyed; how wilt thou sell me to him? Quoth one of the poets of him:
Ophthalmia’s disorders him ply; They have broken his strength down well nigh.
O people, I rede you arise And look at the mote in his eye.’
