The Arabian Nights (translated by Edward Forster)
![[The Arabian Nights, translated by Edward Forster]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gdTH9NPhG0AtCbdOwKWp5RNDcVQZYyniUb7ps3q_zsKWaEG-2OzwD7rjaEYhYsSsEPXu3fVqI2J8QDCVQu4pcdmX0Fft0x8WKBpzsr7ZGhL9fRcjAxZXALQM1xVyruhR2V1_UXbhI6jR/s1600/The+Arabian+Nights+%2528tr.+Edward+Forster%2529+%2528arabiannightsinf01fors%2529.jpg)
During the reign of the Caliph Haroun Alraschid there lived at Bagdad a porter, who, notwithstanding his low and laborious profession, was nevertheless a man of wit and humour. One morning, when he was standing with a large basket before him, in a place where he usually waited for employment, a young lady of a fine figure, covered with a large muslin veil, came up to him, and said with a pleasing air, “Porter, take up your basket and follow me.” The porter, delighted with these few words, pronounced in so agreeable a manner, put it on his head and went after the lady, saying, “Oh happy day! Oh happy meeting!”
The lady stopped at a closed door, and knocked. A venerable Christian, with a long white beard, opened it, and she put some money into his hands without saying a single word; but the Christian, who knew what she wanted, wewt in, and shortly after brought out a large jar of excellent wine. “Take this jar,” said the lady to the porter, “and put it in the basket.” This being done, she desired him to follow her, and walked on; the porter still exclaiming, “Oh day of happiness! Oh day of agreeable surprise and joy!”
The lady stopped at the shop of a seller of fruits and flowers, where she chose various sorts of apples, apricots, peaches, lemons, citrons, oranges, myrtles, sweet basil, lilies, jessamine, and some other sweetscented flowers and plants. She told the porter to put all those things in his basket, and follow her. Passing by a butcher’s shop, she ordered five and twenty pounds of his finest meat to be weighed, which was also put into the porter’s basket.
At another shop she bought some capers, tarragon, small cucumbers, parsley, and other herbs, pickled in vinegar: at another, some pistachios, walnuts, hazel-nuts, almonds, kernels of the pine, and other similar fruits: at a third she purchased all sorts of almond patties. The porter, in putting all these things into his basket, which began to fill it, said: “My good lady, you should have told me, that you intended buying so many things, and I would have provided a horse, or rather a camel, to carry them. I shall have more than I can lift, if you add much to what is already here.” The lady laughed at this speech, and again desired him to follow her.
She then went into a druggist’s, where she furnished herself with all sorts of sweet-scented waters, with cloves, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, a large piece of ambergris, and several other Indian spices, which completely filled the porter’s basket, whom she still ordered to follow her. He did so, till they arrived at a magnificent house, the front of which was ornamented with handsome columns, and at the entrance was a door of ivory. Here they stopped, and the lady gave a gentle knock at the door. While they waited for it to be opened, the porter’s mind was filled with a thousand different thoughts. He was surprised that a lady dressed as this was, should perform the office of housekeeper, for he conceived it impossible for her to be a slave. Her air was so noble, that he supposed her free, if not a person of distinction. He was wishing to ask her some questions concerning her quality and situation, but just as he was preparing to speak, another female who opened the door, appeared to him so beautiful, that he was silent through astonishment, or rather he was so struck with the brilliancy of her charms, that he was very near letting his basket and all that was in it fall; so much did this object make him forget himself. He thought he had never seen any beauty in his whole life that equalled her who was before him. The lady who had brought the porter, observed the disturbed state of his mind, and well knew the cause of it. This discovery diverted her; and she took so much pleasure in examining the countenance of the porter, that she forgot the door was open. “Come in, sister,” said the beautiful portress, “what do you wait for? Don’t you see that this poor man is so heavily laden he can hardly bear it?”
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