Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/16

you will ſoon overtake her; ſtrip your ſelf then to your Shirt, and undreſs your ſelf without Delay.

My ſilly Brother, ſays the Barber, had done too much to ſtick at any thing now He undreſſed himſelf; and in the mean Time the young Lady was ſtript to her Shift and Under-Peticoat, that ſhe might run the more nimbly. When they were ready to run, the young Lady took the Advantage of 20 Paces, and then fell a running with ſurpriſing Swiftneſs; My Brother follow’d her as faſt as he could; the Slaves in the mean time laughing aloud and clapping their Hands. The young Lady, inſtead of loſing Ground, gain’d upon my Brother; ſhe made him run two or three times round the Gallery, and then running into a long dark Entry, got away by a Paſſage which ſhe knew. Backbarah, who ſtill followed her, having loſt Sight of her in the Entry, was obliged to ſlacken his Pace, becauſe of the Darknefs of the Place: At laſt perceiving a Light, he ran towards it, and went out a Door which was immediately ſhut upon him. You may imagine that he was mightily ſurprized to find himſelt in a Street inhabited by Curriers, and they were no leſs ſurpriz’d to ſee him in his Shirt, his Eyebrows painted red, and without Beard or Muſtacho’s: They began to clap their Hands and ſhout at him, and ſome of them ran after him, and laſh’d his Buttocks with Pieces of Leather. Then they ſtopp’d, and ſet him upon an Aſs which they met by Chance, and carry’d him through the Town expoſed to the Laughter of the People.

And to compleat his Misfortune, as he went by the Houſe of a Juftice of Peace, he would needs know the Cauſe of the Tumult. The Curriers told him, that they ſaw him come out in that Condition at the Gate of the Apartment of the Grand Viſier’s Lady, which open’d into their Street; upon which the Juſtice order’d unfortunate Backbarah to have 100 Blows with a Cane on the Soles of his Feet, and ſent him out of the Town, with Orders never to return again.

Thus, Commander of the Faithful, ſays I, to the Califf Moſcanſer Billah, I have given an Account of the Adventure of my Second Brother, who did not know that our greateſt Ladies divert themſelves ſometimes by putting