There lived once in the city of Cufa[FN#1] a man called Al-Rabi'a
bin Hatim, who was one of the chief men of the town, a wealthy
and a healthy, and Heaven had vouchsafed him a son, whom he named
Ni'amah Allah.[FN#2] One day, being in the slave-brokers' mart,
he saw a woman exposed for sale with a little maid of wonderful
beauty and grace on her arm. So he beckoned to the broker and
asked him, "How much for this woman and her daughter?" He
answered "Fifty dinars." Quoth Al-Rabi'a "Write the contract of
sale and take the money and give it to her owner." Then he gave
the broker the price and his brokerage and taking the woman and
her child, carried them to his house. Now when the daughter of
his uncle who was his wife saw the slave, she said to her
husband, "O my cousin, what is this damsel?" He replied, "Of a
truth, I bought her for the sake of the little one on her arm;
for know that, when she groweth up, there will not be her like
for beauty, either in the land of the Arabs or the Ajams." His
wife remarked, "Right was thy rede", and said to the woman "What
is thy name?" She replied, "O my lady, my name is Tauflik.[FN#3]"
"And what is thy daughter's name?" asked she? Answered the slave,
"Sa'ad, the happy." Rejoined her mistress; "Thou sayst sooth,
thou art indeed happy, and happy is he who hath bought thee."
Then quoth she to her husband, "O my cousin, what wilt thou call
her?"; and quoth he, "Whatso thou chooses"; so she said, "Then
let us call her Naomi," and he rejoined "Good is thy device." The
little Naomi was reared with Al-Rabi'a's son Ni'amah in one
cradle, so to speak, till the twain reached the age of ten and
each grew handsomer than the other; and the boy used to address
her, "O my sister!" and she, "O my brother!", till they came to
that age when Al-Rabi'a said to Ni'amah, "O my son, Naomi is not
thy sister but thy slave. I bought her in thy name whilst thou