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never in their lives seen, and stood staring at it and saying, ‘What is this thing?’ To which Abousir replied, ‘This is a bath;’ and they marvelled thereat.
Then he heated water and set the bath a-work; and he made a fountain in the [central] basin, which ravished the wit of all who saw it of the people of the city. Moreover he sought of the king ten white slaves not yet come to manhood, and he gave him ten boys like moons: whereupon Abousir proceeded to shampoo them, saying, ‘Do thus and thus with the customers,’ [till they were perfect in the bathman’s craft]. Then he burnt perfumes and sent out a crier to cry aloud in the city, saying, ‘O creatures of God, get ye to the bath, for it is called the Sultan’s Bath!’ So the people came to the bath and Abousir bade the slave-boys wash their bodies. The folk went down into the bath and coming forth, seated themselves on the estrade, whilst the boys shampooed them, even as Abousir had taught them; and they ceased not to enter the bath and do their occasion thereof and go out, without paying, for the space of three days.
Then the barber invited the king, who took horse with his grandees and rode to the bath, where he put off his clothes and entered; whereupon Abousir came in to him and rubbed his body with the bath-gloves, peeling the dirt from his skin [in rolls] like lamp-wicks and showing them to the king, who rejoiced therein, till his body shone for very smoothness and purity; after which Abousir mingled rose-water with the water of the tank and the king went down therein. When he came forth, his body was refreshed and he felt a lightness and liveliness such as he had never in his life known. Then the barber made him sit on the estrade and the boys proceeded to shampoo him, whilst the censers smoked with the finest aloes-wood.
