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leave to do thus till he had beaten him four times and won of him four thousand dinars.
This was all the merchant’s good; so he said, “O youth, I will play thee another game for the shop.” Now the value of the shop was four thousand dinars; so they played and El Abbas beat him and won his shop, with that which was therein; whereupon the other arose, shaking his clothes, and said to him, “Up, O youth, and take thy shop.” So El Abbas arose and repairing to the shop, took possession thereof, after which he returned to [the place where he had left] his servant [Aamir] and found there the Amir Saad, who was come to bid him to the presence of the king. El Abbas consented to this and accompanied him till they came before King Ins ben Cais, whereupon he kissed the earth and saluted him and exceeded[1] in the salutation. Quoth the king to him, “Whence comest thou, O youth?” and he answered, “I come from Yemen.”
Then said the king, “Hast thou a need we may accomplish unto thee? For indeed we are exceeding beholden to thee for that which thou didst in the matter of Hudheifeh and his folk.” And he let cast over him a mantle of Egyptian satin, worth an hundred dinars. Moreover, he bade his treasurer give him a thousand dinars and said to him, “O youth, take this in part of that which thou deservest of us; and if thou prolong thy sojourn with us, we will give thee slaves and servants.” El Abbas kissed the earth and said, “O king, may God
- ↑ i.e. was eloquent and courtly to the utmost.
