Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/84

if I amguilty ’tis thro’ Ignorance. I did not know that this Lady had a Bufſalo to her Sweet-heart; command me in any thing you pleaſe, I give you my Oath that am ready to obey you. By Death, (replied the Genie) if thou goeſt out from hence, or ſpeakeſth a Word till the Sun riſes, I will cruſh thy Head to pieces; but then I give thee Leave to go from hence: I warn thee to make diſpatch, and nor to look back; but if thou haſt the Impudenee to return, it ſhall coſt thee thy Life.” When the Genie had done ſpeaking, he transformed himſelf into the Shape of a Man, took Hump-back by the Legs, and after having ſet him againſt the Wall with his Head downwards, If thou ſtir, ſaid he, before the Sunriſe, as I have told thee already, I will take thee by the Heels again, and daſh thy Head in a thouſand pieces againſt the Wall.

To return to Bedredden Haſſan, who being promp’d by the Genie, and the Preſence of the Fairy, he got into the Hall again, from whence he ſlipt into the Bride-chamber, where he ſat down expecting the Succeſs of his Adventure. After a while the Bride arriv’d, condudted by an old Matron, who came no further than the Door, exhorting the Bride-groom to do his Duty like a Man, without looking in to ſee if it was Hump-back or another, and then locked the Door, and retir’d.

The young Bride was mightily ſurpriz’d inſtead of Hump-back to find Bedreddin Haſſen, who came up to her with the beſt Grace in the World. “What! My dear Friend, (ſaid ſhe) by your being here at this time of Night, you muſt be my Husband’s Comrade?” “No, Madam, (ſaid Bedreddin) I am of another ſort of Quality than that ugly Hump-back.” “But (ſaid ſhe) you don’t conſider that you ſpeak degradingly of my Husband.” “He your Husband, Madam, (replies he) can you retain thoſe Thoughts ſo long? be convinc’d of your Miſtake, Madam, for ſo much Beauty muſt never be ſacrific’d to the moſt contemptible of all Mankind. ’Tis I, Madam, that am the happy Mortal for whom it is reſerv’d, The Sultan had a mind to make himſelf merry, by putting this Trick upon the Vizier your Father, but he has choſen me to be your real Husband, You might have obſerved how the Ladies, the Muſicians, the Dancers, your Women, and all the Servants of your Family were pleaſed with this Comedy, We have ſent