Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 029 - Night 945 - 946

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029 - Night 945 - 946 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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Speaker 1: Section twenty nine of the Book of the Thousand Knights
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Speaker 1: and the Night, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording.
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Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The
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Speaker 1: Book of a Thousand Knight and the Night, Volume nine
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Speaker 1: by Anonymous, translated by Richard Francis Burton, Night nine hundred
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Speaker 1: and forty five. When it was the nine hundred and
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Speaker 1: forty fifth night, she pursued. It has reached me o
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Speaker 1: auspicious king, that Abdullah of the Sea said to Abdullah
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Speaker 1: of the land, and if a thousand or more of
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Speaker 1: this kind hear an Adam might cry a single cry
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Speaker 1: forthright all die, nor has one of them power to
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Speaker 1: remove from his place. So whenever a son of Adam
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Speaker 1: fallth into this sea, we take him and anoint him
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Speaker 1: with this fat, and go round about the depths with him.
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Speaker 1: And whenever we see a dandan or two or three
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Speaker 1: or more, we bid him cry out, and they all
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Speaker 1: die forthright for his ones crying quoth the fisherman, I
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Speaker 1: put my trust in Allah, and doffing his clothes, buried
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Speaker 1: them in a hole which he dug in the beach,
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Speaker 1: after which he rubbed his body from head to heels
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Speaker 1: with that ointment. Then he descended into the water, and, diving,
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Speaker 1: opened his eyes, and the brine did him no hurt.
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Speaker 1: So he walked right on left, and if he would,
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Speaker 1: he rose to the sea face, and if he would,
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Speaker 1: he sent to the base. And he beheld the water
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Speaker 1: as it were a tent over his head. Yet it
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Speaker 1: wrought him no hurt. Then said the mermur to him,
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Speaker 1: what seest thou, o, my brother? And said he, O,
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Speaker 1: my brother, I see nought sail wheal. And indeed thou
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Speaker 1: spakest truth in that which thou setst to me, For
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Speaker 1: the water does mean no hurt, quoth the merman follow me.
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Speaker 1: So he followed him, and they ceased, not faring on
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Speaker 1: from place to place, whilst Abdullah discovered before him and
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Speaker 1: on his right and left mountains of water, and solaced
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Speaker 1: himself by gazing thereon and on the various sorts of fish,
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Speaker 1: some great and some small, which disported themselves in the main.
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Speaker 1: Some of them favored buffaloes, others oxen, and others dogs,
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Speaker 1: and yet others human beings. But all to which they
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Speaker 1: drew nearer fled when as they saw the fishermen, who
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Speaker 1: said to the merman, O, my brother, how is it
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Speaker 1: that I see all the fish to which we draw
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Speaker 1: near flee from us? Afar, said the other. Because they
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Speaker 1: fear Thee for all things that Allah has made fear
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Speaker 1: the son of Adam. The fisherman ceased not to divert
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Speaker 1: himself with the marvels of the deep till they came
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Speaker 1: to a high mountain and fared on beside it. Suddenly
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Speaker 1: he heard a mighty loud cry, and turning saw some
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Speaker 1: black thing, the bigness of a camel or beggar, coming
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Speaker 1: down upon him from the liquid mountain and crying out.
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Speaker 1: So he asked his friend, what is this, O, my brother?
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Speaker 1: And the merman answered, this is the Dundan. He cometh
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Speaker 1: in search of me, seeking to devour me. So cry
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Speaker 1: out at him, O, my brother, ere he has reached us,
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Speaker 1: else he will snatch me up and devour me. Accordingly,
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Speaker 1: Abdullah cried out at the beast, and behold it fell
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Speaker 1: down dead, which when he saw he said, glorify it
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Speaker 1: be the per fraction of God and his praise. I
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Speaker 1: smote it not with the sword nor knife. How cometh
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Speaker 1: it that for all the vastness of the creature's bulk,
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Speaker 1: it could not bear my cry, but died, replied the merman,
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Speaker 1: marvel not, for by allah, oh my brother, were there
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Speaker 1: a thousand or two thousand of these creatures? Yet could
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Speaker 1: they not endure the cry of a son of Adam.
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Speaker 1: Then they walked on till they made a city, whose
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Speaker 1: inhabitants the fisherman sought to be all women, there being
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Speaker 1: no male among them. So he said to his companion, O,
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Speaker 1: my brother, what city is this? And what are these women?
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Speaker 1: This is the city of women, For its inhabitants are
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Speaker 1: of the women of the sea. Are there any males
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Speaker 1: amongst them? No? Then how do they conceive and bear
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Speaker 1: young without males? The King of the sea banisheth them hither,
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Speaker 1: and they conceive not naither bare children. All the women
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Speaker 1: of the sea with whom he is wroth. He send
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Speaker 1: us to this city, and they cannot leave it, for
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Speaker 1: should one of them come forth, therefrom any of the
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Speaker 1: beasts of the sea that saw her would eat her.
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Speaker 1: But in other cities of the main there are both
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Speaker 1: males and females. Thereupon asked the fishermen are there than
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Speaker 1: other cities than this in the sea. And the merman answered,
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Speaker 1: there are many, quoth the fisherman. And is there a
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Speaker 1: sultan over you in the sea? Yes, quoth the merman.
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Speaker 1: Then said abdullah O, my brother, I have indeed seen
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Speaker 1: many marvels in the main. But the merman said, and
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Speaker 1: what hast thou seen of its marvels? Hast dou not
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Speaker 1: heard the saying, the marvels of the sea are more
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Speaker 1: manifold than the marvels of the land. True rejoined the
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Speaker 1: fishermen and fell to gazing upon those women, whom he
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Speaker 1: saw with faces like moons and hair like women's hair,
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Speaker 1: but their hands and feet were in their middle, and
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Speaker 1: they had tails like fish's tails. Now, when the mermaid
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Speaker 1: had shown him the people of the city, he carried
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Speaker 1: him forth therefrom and forewalked him to another city, which
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Speaker 1: he found full of falk, both males and females, formed
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Speaker 1: like the women aforesaid, and having tails. But there was
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Speaker 1: neither selling nor buying amongst them, as with the people
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Speaker 1: of the land, nor were they closed, but went all
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Speaker 1: naked and with their same uncovered. Said abdullah O, my brother,
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Speaker 1: I see males and females alike, with their shame exposed,
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Speaker 1: and the others said. This is because the folk of
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Speaker 1: the sea have no clothes. Asked the fishermen, and how
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Speaker 1: do they when they marry? The merman answered, they do
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Speaker 1: not marry. But every one who taketh a liking to
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Speaker 1: a female does his will on her. Quoth Abdullah, this
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Speaker 1: is unlawful. Why does he not ask her in marriage,
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Speaker 1: endour her, and make her a wedding festival, and marry
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Speaker 1: her in accordance with that which is pleasing to Allah
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Speaker 1: and his apostle. And quoth the other we are not
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Speaker 1: all of one religion. Some of us are Moslems, believers
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Speaker 1: in the unity, others Nasarenis, and what not else. And
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Speaker 1: each marries in accordance with the ordinances of his creed.
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Speaker 1: But those of us who marry are mostly Moslems. The
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Speaker 1: fisherman continued, ye are naked and have neither be buying
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Speaker 1: nor selling among you. Of what then is their wivee's dowry?
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Speaker 1: Do ye give them jewels and precious stones? The merman rejoined,
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Speaker 1: gems with us are only stones without worth. But upon
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Speaker 1: the Moslem who is minded to marry, is the a
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Speaker 1: impose a dowry of a certain number of fishes? Of
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Speaker 1: various kinds, that he must catch a thousand or two thousand,
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Speaker 1: more or less, according to the agreement between himself and
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Speaker 1: the bride's father. As soon as he bringeth the amount required,
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Speaker 1: the families of the bride and bridegroom assemble and eat
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Speaker 1: the marriage banquet, after which they bring him in to
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Speaker 1: his bride, and he catches fish and feedeth her, or
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Speaker 1: if he be an able, she catches fish and feedeth him.
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Speaker 1: Inquire the fisherman, and how if a woman commit adultery?
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Speaker 1: And the other replied, If a woman be convicted of
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Speaker 1: this case, they banish her to the city of woman.
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Speaker 1: And if she be with child by her gallant, they
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Speaker 1: leave her till she be delivered. Then if she gave
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Speaker 1: birth to a girl, they banish her with her, calling
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Speaker 1: her adulters, daughter of adulters. And she she abideth a
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Speaker 1: maid till she die. But if the women give birth
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Speaker 1: to a male child, they carry it to the Sultan
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Speaker 1: of the Sea, who puteth it to death. Abdullah marveld
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Speaker 1: at this, and the merman carried him to another city,
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Speaker 1: and thence to another and yet another, till he had
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Speaker 1: diverted him with the sight of eighty cities, and he
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Speaker 1: saw the people of each city unlike those of every other.
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Speaker 1: Then said he to the merman, O, my brother, are
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Speaker 1: there yet other cities in the main? We are to
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Speaker 1: said the other. And what hast thou seen of the
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Speaker 1: cities of the sea and its wondrous spectacles? By the
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Speaker 1: virtue of the noble prophet the banning the compassionate, were
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Speaker 1: I to show THEE every day a thousand cities for
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Speaker 1: a thousand years, and in each city a thousand marvels,
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Speaker 1: I should not have shown THEE one carrot of the
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Speaker 1: four and twenty carrots of the cities of the sea
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Speaker 1: and its miracles. I have but shown THEE our own
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Speaker 1: province and country, nothing more. The fisherman thus resumed, O,
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Speaker 1: my brother, Since this is the case, what I have
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Speaker 1: seen suffices me, for I am a weary of eating fish,
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Speaker 1: And these fourscore days I have been in thy company,
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Speaker 1: thou hast fed me morning and night upon nothing but
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Speaker 1: raw fish, neither broiled nor boiled. And what is broiled
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Speaker 1: or boiled? We broil fish with fire, and boil it
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Speaker 1: in water, and d rest it in various ways, and
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Speaker 1: make many dishes of it. And how should we come
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Speaker 1: by fire in the sea we know not broiled, nor boiled,
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Speaker 1: nor aught else of the kind. We also fry it
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Speaker 1: in olive oil and oil of sesame. How should become
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Speaker 1: by olive oil and oil of sesame in the sea?
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Speaker 1: Verily we know nothing of that? Though name it true.
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Speaker 1: But O, my brother, thou hast shown me many cities.
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Speaker 1: Yet hast thou not shown me thine own city. As
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Speaker 1: for mine own city, we passed it a long way,
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Speaker 1: for it is near the land. Whence we came, and
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Speaker 1: I left it and came with thee hither, thinking only
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Speaker 1: to divert thee with the sight of the greater cities
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Speaker 1: of the sea. That which I have seen of them
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Speaker 1: suffices me, And now I would have thee show me
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Speaker 1: thine own city. So be it, answered Abdullah of the Sea, and,
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Speaker 1: returning on his traces, carried him back thither and said
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Speaker 1: to him, this is my city. Abdullah of the land
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Speaker 1: looked and saw a city small by comparison with those
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Speaker 1: he had seen. Then he entered with his comrade of
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Speaker 1: the deep, and they fared on till they came to
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Speaker 1: a cave. Quoth the merman, this is my house, and
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Speaker 1: all the houses and the city are like this caverns
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Speaker 1: great and small in the mountains, as are also those
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Speaker 1: of every other city of the sea. For whoso is
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Speaker 1: minded to make him a house, must repair to the
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Speaker 1: king and say to him, I wish to make me
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Speaker 1: a house in such a place. Whereupon the king sends
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Speaker 1: with him a band of the fish called peckers, which
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Speaker 1: have beaks that crumble the hardest rock. Appointing for their
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Speaker 1: wage a certain quantum of fish, they betake themselves to
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Speaker 1: the mountain chosen by the intended owner, and their inn
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Speaker 1: pierce the house, whilst the owner catches fish for them
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Speaker 1: and feedeth them till the cave is finished. When they
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Speaker 1: wend their ways, and the house owner takes up his abode.
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Speaker 1: Therein on such wires do all the people of the sea.
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Speaker 1: They traffic not one with other, nor serve each other,
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Speaker 1: save by means of fish. And their food is fish,
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Speaker 1: and they themselves, elves, are a kind of fish. Then
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Speaker 1: he said to him enter. So Abdullah entered, and the
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Speaker 1: mermur cried out, saying, O daughter mine. When behold there
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Speaker 1: came to him a damsel with a face like the
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Speaker 1: raungeer of the moon, and hair long. HEP's heavy eyes
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Speaker 1: black edged and waste slender, but she was naked and
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Speaker 1: had a tail. When she saw Abdullah of the land,
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Speaker 1: he said to her, sire, O, my father, what is
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Speaker 1: this no tale thou hast brought with thee. He replied, O,
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Speaker 1: my daughter, this is my friend of the land, from
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Speaker 1: whom I used to bring thee the fruits of the ground.
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Speaker 1: Come hither and salute him with the salam. So she
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Speaker 1: came forward and saluted the fisherman with loquent tongue and
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Speaker 1: eloquent speech. And her father said to her, bring meat
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Speaker 1: for our guest, by whose visit a blessing has betided us.
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Speaker 1: Whereupon she brought him two great fishes, each the bigness
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Speaker 1: of a lamb, and the mermaids said to him eat.
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Speaker 1: So he ate for stress of hunger, despite himself, because
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Speaker 1: he was tired of eating fish, and they had naught
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Speaker 1: else save fish. Before long in came the merman's wife,
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Speaker 1: who was beautiful of form and favor, and was her
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Speaker 1: two children, each having in his hand a young fish,
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Speaker 1: which he crunched as a man would crunch a cucumber.
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Speaker 1: When she saw the fisherman was her husband, she said,
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Speaker 1: what is this now? Tail? And she and her sons
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Speaker 1: and their sister came up to him and fell to
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Speaker 1: examining the back parts of Abdellah of the land and saying, yea,
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Speaker 1: by Allah, he is tail less. And they laughed at him.
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Speaker 1: So he said to the merman, Oh, my brother has
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Speaker 1: though brought me hither to make me a boat and
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Speaker 1: a laughing stock for thy children and consort. And Shahrazad
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Speaker 1: perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
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Speaker 1: permitted say, and of night nine hundred and forty five
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Speaker 1: night nine hundred and forty six, when it was the
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Speaker 1: nine hundred and forty sixth night, she resumed, it has
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Speaker 1: reached me, O auspicious king, that Abdullah of the land,
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Speaker 1: said to Abdullah of the Sea, O, my brother hast
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Speaker 1: thou brought me hither to make me about and a
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Speaker 1: laughing stalk for the children and thy consort, cried the merman, Pardon, O,
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Speaker 1: my brother. Those who have no tales are rare among us,
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Speaker 1: And whenever one such is found, the Sultan taketh him
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Speaker 1: to make fun of him, and he abideth a marvel
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Speaker 1: amongst us, and all who see him laugh at him.
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Speaker 1: But O, my brother, excuse these young children and this woman,
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Speaker 1: for they lack wits. Then he cried out to his family,
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Speaker 1: saying silence. So they were afraid and held their peace,
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Speaker 1: whilst he went on to soothe Abdullah's mind. Presently, as
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Speaker 1: they were talking, behold in came some ten mermen, tall
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Speaker 1: and strong and stout, and said to him, O, Abdullah,
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Speaker 1: it has reached the king that thou hast with thee
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Speaker 1: and no tale of the no tales of the earth.
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Speaker 1: Answered the Merman, Yes, and this is he. But he
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Speaker 1: is not of us nor of the children, as the sea.
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Speaker 1: He is my friend of the land, and has come
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Speaker 1: to me as a guest, and her purpose to carry
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Speaker 1: him back to the land. Quoth they We cannot depart
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Speaker 1: but with him. So and thou have ought to say,
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Speaker 1: arise and come with him before the King. And whatso
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Speaker 1: thou wouldst say to us? Say? Though that same to
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Speaker 1: the king? Then, quoth the Merman to the fisherman, O,
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Speaker 1: my brother, my excuse is manifest, and we may not
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Speaker 1: disobey the king. But go thou with me to him,
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Speaker 1: and I will do my best to deliver THEE from him.
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Speaker 1: Ins Allah, fear not, for he deemeth thee of the
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Speaker 1: children of the sea. But when he sees thee, he
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Speaker 1: will known thee to be of the children of the land,
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Speaker 1: and he will surely entreat thee honorably and restore thee
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Speaker 1: to the land. An Abdullah of the land replied, design
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Speaker 1: to decide, I will trust in Allah, and went with thee.
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Speaker 1: So he took him and carried him to the king, who,
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Speaker 1: when he saw him, laughed at him and said, welcome
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Speaker 1: to the no tale, And all who were about the
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Speaker 1: king began to laugh at him and say, yea, by Allah,
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Speaker 1: he is taleless. Then Abdullah of the Sea came forward
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Speaker 1: and acquainted the king with the fisherman's case, saying, this
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Speaker 1: man is the children of the land, and he is
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Speaker 1: my comrade, and cannot live amongst us, for that he
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Speaker 1: loveth not the eating of fish, except it be fried
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Speaker 1: or boiled. Wherefore I desire that thou give me leave
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Speaker 1: to restore him to the land. Where to the king replied,
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Speaker 1: since the case is so, and he cannot live among us,
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Speaker 1: I give thee leave to restore him to his place
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Speaker 1: after due entertainment, presently adding bring him the guest meal.
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Speaker 1: Though they brought him fish of various kinds and colors,
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Speaker 1: and he ate in obedience to the royal behest, after
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Speaker 1: which the king said to him, ask a boon of
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Speaker 1: me quoth he I ask of thee that thou give
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Speaker 1: me jewels, And the king said, carry him to the
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Speaker 1: jewel house, and let him choose that whereof he has need.
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Speaker 1: So his friend carried him to the jewel and he
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Speaker 1: picked out what so he would, after which the merman
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Speaker 1: brought him back to his own city, and, pulling out
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Speaker 1: a purse, said to him, take this deposit and lay
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Speaker 1: it on a tomb of the prophet whom Allah save
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Speaker 1: an assaying, And he took it, knowing not what was
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Speaker 1: therein Then the merman went forth with him to bring
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Speaker 1: him back to land, and by the way he heard
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Speaker 1: singing and merry making, and saw a table spread with
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Speaker 1: fish and folk eating and singing and holding mightily high festival.
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Speaker 1: So Abdullah of the land said to his friend, what
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Speaker 1: aileth these people to rejoice us? Is there a wedding
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Speaker 1: among them? Replied Abdullah of the sea. Nay, one of
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Speaker 1: them is dead, asked the fisherman. Then do ye when
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Speaker 1: one dies amongst you, rejoice for him and sing and feast.
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Speaker 1: And the merman answered, yes, and ye of the land,
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Speaker 1: What do ye quoth Abdullah of the land. When one
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Speaker 1: dieth amongst us, we weep and keen for him, and
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Speaker 1: the women beat their faces and rend the bosoms of
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Speaker 1: their raiment in token of mourning for the dead. But
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Speaker 1: Abdullah the mermaid stared at him with wide eyes and
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Speaker 1: said to him, give me the deposit. So he gave
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Speaker 1: it to him. Then he set him ashore and said
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Speaker 1: to him, I have broken off our companionship and our enmity.
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Speaker 1: Wherefore from this day forward thou shalt no more see me,
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Speaker 1: nor I see thee. Cried the fisherman, Why sayest thou this?
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Speaker 1: And the other said, are you not a folk of
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Speaker 1: the land a deposit of Allah? Yes? Why, then asked
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Speaker 1: the merman, is it grievous to you that Allah should
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Speaker 1: take back his deposit? And wherefore weep ye o'er it?
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Speaker 1: How can cahnen I entrust THEE with a deposit for
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Speaker 1: the prophet whom Allah save? And as saying, think that
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Speaker 1: when a child is born to you you rejoice in
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Speaker 1: it all bite THEE Almighty setteth the soul therein as
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Speaker 1: a deposit. And yet when he taketh it again. It
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Speaker 1: is grievous to you, and ye weep and mourn. Since
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Speaker 1: it is hard for THEE to give up the deposit
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Speaker 1: of Allah, how shall it be easy to THEE to
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Speaker 1: give up the deposit of the prophet. Wherefore we need
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Speaker 1: not your companionship, saying, thus he left him and disappeared
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Speaker 1: in the sea. Thereupon, Abdullah of the land donned his dress, and,
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Speaker 1: taking the jewels, went up to the king, who met
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Speaker 1: him lovingly and rejoiced at his return, saying, how dost
21:51
Speaker 1: thou o, my son in law? And what is the
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Speaker 1: cause of thine absence from me? This? While so he
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Speaker 1: told him the tale and acquainted him with that which
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Speaker 1: he had seen of marvels in the sea. Whereas the
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Speaker 1: king wondered, then he told him what Abdullah the mermaid
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Speaker 1: had said, and the king replied, indeed, it was thou
22:15
Speaker 1: wast at fault to tell him this. Nevertheless, he continued
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Speaker 1: for some time to go down to the shore and
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Speaker 1: call upon Abdullah of the Sea, but he answered him
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Speaker 1: not nor came to him. So at last he gave
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Speaker 1: up all hope of him an abode. He and the King,
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Speaker 1: his father in law, and the families of them, both
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Speaker 1: in the happiest of cays and the practice of righteous ways,
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Speaker 1: till there came to them the destroyer of delights and
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Speaker 1: the severer of societies, and they died all. Wherefore glory
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Speaker 1: be to the living, who dieth not, whose is the
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Speaker 1: empire of the scene, and the unseen, who over all
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Speaker 1: things is omnipotioned, and is gracious to his servants and
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Speaker 1: know their every interent. And amongst the tales they tell
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Speaker 1: is one ann Harun al Rashid and Abu Hassan, the
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Speaker 1: merchant of Oman. The Caliph Arun al Rashid was one
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Speaker 1: night wakeful exceedingly so he called Masrour and said to him,
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Speaker 1: as soon as he came, fetch me Ja'afar in haste.
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Speaker 1: Accordingly he went out and returned with the Wazir, to
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Speaker 1: whom said the Caliph, O ja'afar, wakefulness has mastered me
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Speaker 1: this night, and forbiddeth sleep from me. What shall drive
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Speaker 1: it away from me? Replied Ja'afar, O commander of the faithful,
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Speaker 1: the wise say, looking on a mirror, entering the Hammam
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Speaker 1: bath and hearkening unto song banish care and chagrin, he
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Speaker 1: rejoined Ojfar, I have done all this, but it has
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Speaker 1: brought me naught of relief. And I swear by my
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Speaker 1: pious forebearers. Unless thou contrive that which shall abate from
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Speaker 1: me is insomni, I will smite thy neck, quoth Ja'afar, O,
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Speaker 1: Commander of the Faithful, Wilt thou do that which I
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Speaker 1: shall counsel thee? Whereupon quoth the Caliph? And what is
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Speaker 1: that thou counselst? He replied, It is that thou take
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Speaker 1: boat with us and drop down Tigris River with the tide,
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Speaker 1: to a place called Krn al Sirat. So haply we
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Speaker 1: may hear what we never heard or see what we
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Speaker 1: never saw. For it is said the solace of care
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Speaker 1: is in one of three things, that the man see
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Speaker 1: what he never before saw, or hear what he never
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Speaker 1: yet heard, or tread on earth he erst has never trodden.
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Speaker 1: It may be this shall be the means of remedying
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Speaker 1: thy restlessness, O, Commander of the Faithful. In Sallah. There
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Speaker 1: on either side of the river our windows and balconies,
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Speaker 1: one facing other, and it may be we shall hear
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Speaker 1: or see from one of these somewhat wherewith our hearts
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Speaker 1: may be heartened. Jaffar's council pleased the Caliph, so he
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Speaker 1: rose from his place, and taking with him the Wazir
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Speaker 1: and his brother Alfaz, and Isak the Boon Companion, and
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Speaker 1: Abu Nowas and Abu D'lah and must Ru the Sworder,
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Speaker 1: and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased, saying
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Speaker 1: her permitted say end of night, nine hundred and forty
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Speaker 1: six