neyed gossip in his ear, sweet scandal, laughable anecdotes, recitations."
Then he began to hint at what would be the wrath of the King of Persia when he came to hear of the treatment received by his chief barber at the hands of them of our city. Surely his tongue was a watermill, and wagged on all themes and subjects; and I let him relieve his soul with this prate, till he told of the relationship between ye. Thereat my conscience smote me on the rib with compassion for him, and I had him released, and conveyed to me secretly, and fed him, clothed him, filled him with comfort; relating to him that portion of thy adventures known to me, O Master of the Event; and of thy betrothal to my daughter Noorna, and of thy destiny that led thee through dangers, enchantments, privations, amazing marvels, to the Shaving of Shagpat. So hearing this he gave praise to the readers of planets, and cried extemporaneously and in seemly verse:
"We mortals, that know not the stars and their doings,
Complain when annoy'd in our warrings and wooings;
But oh could we read them, their mysteries tracking,
Like birds in a storm we should sing through each thwacking."
Wullahy! scarce could I restrain him from flying at Shagpat that instant; and it required abundance of quotation from what the sages have bequeathed to us in matters of experience and wisdom, and lively illustrations, forcible appeals, to hold him back. Now till his excitement abated I kept him by me. Then I gave him porter's work, and he did me commissions,
