deal and he paid no heed, and he had beaten him and he paid no heed, and he had tied him up and he paid no heed. So at last the sultan was tired of his business, and let him go out of the way.
And the sultan lived on till his date-tree threw up a pointed shoot, and after a month had passed, he found signs that the sultan's date-tree would bear, and he was very glad, and called the vizir, and told the vizir, "My date-tree is bearing;" and he told the officers "My date-tree is bearing;" and he told the judges, "My date-tree is bearing." And he told all the rich gentlemen that were in the town.
And he waited till after some days had passed, the dates were preparing to ripen upon the date-tree. And he called his sons, all the six, and he said, "That one child is not amongst you, he has stayed behind like a woman. Now give me your advice, my sons." And they asked, "On what, father?" And he said, "I want one son amongst you to watch the date-tree till the dates are ripe, that I may get to eat those dates. I cannot leave the date-tree by itself, I fear the slaves will eat them, or some bird will come and eat them. So I want you [that one] to go and watch the date-tree." And he said, "All right," and went off.
There was a good house built, and he sat there till the night. And he gathered all the slaves of the plantation and they beat the drums under the date-tree. The youth feared, and said, "If I sleep inside, perhaps a slave will come in the night, and climb up the date-tree, and steal the dates; or, perhaps, some great bird will come in the night and eat the dates, and besides, the dates are ripe. Let us dance then here under the date-tree till the morning."
And they beat the drums till, when half the night was
