WOMEN’S CRAFT.
It is told that there was once, in the city of Baghdad, a comely and well-bred youth, fair of face, tall of stature and slender of shape. His name was Alaeddin and he was of the chiefs of the sons of the merchants and had a shop wherein he sold and bought One day, as he sat in his shop, there passed by him a girl of the women of pleasure,[1] who raised her eyes and casting a glance at the young merchant, saw written in a flowing hand on the forepart[2] of the door of his shop, these words, “Verily, there is no craft but men’s craft, forasmuch as it overcometh women’s craft.” When she beheld this, she was wroth and took counsel with herself, saying, “As my head liveth, I will assuredly show
- ↑ Binat el hawa, lit. daughters of love. This is the ordinary meaning of the phrase; but the girl in question appears to have been of good repute and the expression, as applied to her, is probably, therefore, only intended to signify a sprightly, frolicsome damsel.
- ↑ Lit. the forehead, quære the lintel.
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