Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/89

as himſelf. Unhappy Wretch! ſaid he in a Paſſion, Do you appear before me thus, after the hideous Sacrifice you have juſt conſummated, can you ſee me with ſo much Satisfaction. Scheherazade left off when he ſhe came this lengrh, becauſe Day appear’d; and next Night reſum’d her Diſcourſe to the Sultan of the Indies.

SIR, the Grand Vizier Giafar went on with the Relation of Bedreddin Haſſan’s Story thus.

The new Bride ſeeing her Father angry at her pleaſant Countenance, ſays to him, For God’s ſake, Sir, do not reproach me wrongfully; ’tis not the Hump back Fellow, whom I abhor more than Death; ’tis not that Monſter I have married, every body laugh’d him ſo to ſcorn, and put him ſo out of Countenance, that he was forc’d to run away and hide himſelf, to make room for a charming Young Gentleman, who is my real Husband. What a Fable do you tell me, ſaid Schemſeddin Mohammed, roughly? What! Did not Crook-back lie with you to-Night? No, Sir, ſaid ſhe, It was that young Gentleman, I told you of who has large Eyes, and black Eye-brows. At theſe Words the Vizier loſt all Patience, and fell into a terrible Paſſion; Ah wicked Woman! ſays he, you will make me diſtracted? ’Tis you, Father, ſaid ſhe, that puts me out of my Senſes by your Incredulity. So ’tis not true then, replies the Vizier, that Hump-back,———Let us talk no more of Hump-back, ſaid ſhe, a Curſe upon Hump-back, muſt I always have him caſt in my Diſh. Father, ſaid ſhe, I tell you once more, that I did not bed with him, but with my dear Spouſe, who, I believe, is not very far off,

Schemſeddin Mohammed went out to ſeek him, but inſtead of ſeeing him, was mightily ſurprized to find Hump-back with his Head on the Ground, and his Heels uppermoſt, as the Genie had ſet him againſt the Wall. What’s the meaning of this, ſaid he, who plac’d you thus? Crook-back, knowing it to be the Vizier, anſwer’d, Alas! alas! ’tis you then that would marry me to the Miſtreſs of a Buffalo, the Sweet-heart of an ugly Genie, I won’t be your Fool, you ſhar’t put a Trick upon me.

Scheherazade ſtopt here, and next Night reſum’d her ſtory thus.