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deliver me from my stress, by means of her intercession.” The man accordingly told him of the divine gifts of the holy woman Fatimeh and her piety and the excellence of her devotion; then, taking him by the hand, he carried him without the city and showed him the way to her abiding-place, which was in a cavern on the top of a little hill; whereupon the Maugrabin thanked him amain for his kindness[1] and returned to his place in the Khan.
Now, by the decree of destiny, Fatimeh came down on the morrow to the city and the enchanter, going forth the Khan in the morning, saw the folk crowding together; so he went up, to see what was toward, and found Fatimeh standing, whilst every one who had a pain or an ache came to her, seeking her blessing and soliciting her prayers, and whenas she stroked him, he was made whole of his ailment. The Maugrabin followed her, till she returned to her cavern, and waited till nightfall, when he arose and entering a sherbet-sellers’[2] shop, drank a cup of liquor,[3] then went forth
- ↑ Lit. “wished the man increase of his good (istekthera bi-kheirihi, for which idiomatic expression = “he thanked him,” see ante, p. 135, note 3), and thanked his excellence” (favour or kindness, fedsl).
- ↑ Sherabati. Burton, “vintner.”
- ↑ Keniz, a word which I cannot find in any dictionary, but which
