Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/11

The Calif having ſignify’d by his Silence, that he was wiling to hear me, I went on thus.

MY Second Brother, who. was called Backbarah the Toothleſs, going one Day through the City, met an old Woman in an out Street; ſhe came to him preſently, and ſays, I want one Word with you, pray ſtop one Moment. He did fo, and ask’d her what ſhe would have. If you will come along with me, ſays ſhe, I will bring you into a lately Palace, where you ſhall ſee a Lady as fair as the Day. She will receive you with abundance of Pleafure, and give you a Treat with excellent Wine, I need ſay no more to you. But is what you ſay true? replied my Brother; I am no lying Huſſey, replies the old Woman, I ſay nothing to you but what is true. But hark, I have ſomething to ask of you. You muſt be wiſe, you muſt ſpeak but little, and you muſt be mighty Complaiſant. Backbarah agreed to all this. The old Woman went before, and he followed after. They came to the Gate of a great Palace, where there were Abundance of Officers and Domeſticks. Some of them would have ſtopped my Brother, but no ſooner did the old Woman ſpeak to them, but they let him paſs. Then turning to my Brother, ſhe ſays to him, you muſt remember that the young Lady I bring you to, loves good Nature and Modeſty, and cannot endure to be contradicted; if you pleaſe her in that, you may be ſure to obtain of her what you pleaſe. Backbarah thank’d her for this Advice, and promis’d to follow it.

She brought him into a fine Apartment, which was a great ſquare Building, anſwerable to the Magnificence of the Palace. There was a Gallery round it, and a very fine Garden in the Middle. The old Woman made him fit down upon a Sopha very well trimm’d, and bid him ſtay a Moment, till ſhe went ta tell the young Lady of his being come.

My Brother who had never been in ſuch a ſtately Place before, gaz’d upon all the fine Things that he ſaw; and judging of his good Fortune by the Magnificence of the Palace, he was ſcarcely able to contain himſelf for Joy. By and by he heard a great Noiſe, occaſion’d by a Troop of