Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/33

ſelf of the old Woman, who had put ſuch a barbarous Cheat upon him: To this End, he took a Bag large enough to contain 500 Pieces of Gold, and filled it with Pieces of Glaſs.

Here Scheherazade ſtopt ’till next Morning, when ſhe went on thus.

MY Brother, continued the Barber, faſten’d the Bag of Glaſs about him, diſguiſed himſelt like an old Woman, and took a Cimiter under his Gown. One Morning he met the old Woman walking through the Town to ſeek her Prey; he comes up to her, and couterfeiting a Woman’s Voice, ſays to her, Cannot you lend me a Pair of Scales? I am a Woman newly come from Perſia, have 500 Pieces of Gold with me, and would know it they will hold out according to your Weight. Good Woman, anſwers the old Hagg, you could not have apply’d to a properer Perſon: Follow me, I will bring you to my Son, who changes money and will weigh them himſelf, to ſave you the Trouble. Let us make Haſte, for fear he go to his Shop. My Brother followed her to the Houſe where ſhe carried him the firſt Time, and the Greek Slave open’d the Door.

The old Woman carry’d my Brother to the Hall, where ſhe bid him ſtay a Moment ’till ſhe called her Son. The pretended Son came, and proved to be the villainous Black Slave. Curſed old Woman, ſays he to my Brother, riſe and follow me: Having ſpoke thus, he went before to bring him to the Place where he deſigned to murder him. Alnaſchar got up, follow’d him, and drawing his Cimiter, gave him ſuch a dextrous Blow behind on the Neck, as cut off his Head, which he took in one Hand, and dragging the Corps with the other, threw them both into the Place under Ground, before mention’d. The Greek Slave, who was accuſtom’d to the Trade, came preſently with a Baſon of Salt; but when ſhe ſaw Alnaſchar with the Cimiter in his Hand, and without his Veil, ſhe laid down the Baſon, and fled: But my Brother overtaking her, cut off her Head alſo. The wicked old Woman came running at the Noiſe, and my Brother ſeizing her,