The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 by Anonymous
page 54 of 574 (09%)
page 54 of 574 (09%)
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of shock."[FN#90] "And what sayest thou concerning palm-trees?"--
"The most excellent is that which the greatest of gathering doth own and whose height is low grown and within whose meat is the smallest stone." "And what dost thou say anent the vine?"--"The most noble is that which is stout of stem and big of bunch." "And what sayest thou concerning the Heavens?"--"This is the furthest extent of man's sight and the dwelling-place of the Sun and Moon and all the Stars that give light, raised on high without columns pight and overshadowing the numbers beneath its height." "And what dost thou say concerning the Earth?"--"It is wide dispread in length and breadth." "And what dost thou say anent the rain?"- -"The most excellent is that which filleth the pits and pools and which overfloweth into the wadys and the rivers." Hereupon quoth Al-Hajjaj, "O young man inform me what women be the best"--And Sharazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was The Five Hundred and Sixteenth Night, Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Al-Hajjaj said, "O young man, inform me what women be the best and the most |
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