room. * * ' * 



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SOME CURRENT PERSIAN TALES. 379 



Come, tell the truth." Khwaja Ibrahim then related the whole story in detail. One 

 of his companions said, " Khwaja Ibrahim ! If the woman comes with the bond, say 

 nothing at all, but just give her the hundred tumans. If to-morrow I don't get back 

 that hundred tumans from her, with her own consent, together with three hundred 

 more, I'm no man." 



While they Were thus talking the lady came to the caravansera. Khwaja Ibrahim 

 got up and gave her a bag containing a hundred tumans and took back his bond, and the 

 lady departed well pleased. - • mth 



Next morning early Khwaja Ibrahim's companion said to him, " Get up, come and 

 point out to me that woman's house." So Ibrahim and his friend started and arrived 

 at the door. Khwaja Ibrahim hid in a corner while his companion knocked. A negress 

 came to the door and opening it saw that there was a merchant 1 there. "What 

 do you want ? " she asked. " Kindly," said he, " represent to your mistress that a mer- 

 chant has something to say to her." The girl carried the message, and the lady putting 

 her head-dress on her head came behind the door. The merchant greeted her and said, 

 " Lady, yesterday I heard from my companion a description of your glorious beauty, so ,],* 

 I have brought with me these hundred tumans, merely to view your face and depart." --'-'"i* 

 The lady took the hundred tumans and then showed him her face. 



The merchant and Khwaja Ibrahim returned to the caravansera and, taking ano- 

 ther hundred tumans, returned to the lady's door and knocked. The lady came to the 

 door and opened it. The merchant said, " I am that merchant who paid a hundred 

 tumans to view your face. I have a hundred more, and want just two kisses from your 

 cheek in exchange." The lady said to herself, " What more profitable Way of getting 1 

 money is there than this ? " She took the hundred tumans and let the merchant take 

 two kisses. The merchant and Khwaja Ibrahim returned, got another hundred tumans ' 

 and came and knocked again at the door. The lady answered the knock. Khwaja 

 Ibrahim concealed himself in the entrance hall, so that the lady could not see him, but 

 the merchant entered the house saying, " I am that merchant who gave you a hundred 

 tumans to view your face and another hundred for two kisses. I have with me 

 another hundred tumans which I will give you on a certain condition:" The lady 



replied, "Well, there's no great harm in that." She took the money and entered her 



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* * * * * * * : ■&'-' ■ ■ * ; ■ ■■ h%& 



* * * * * * ■ ' * ,: ' * : '■■■>'> * I "ip 



- ■ ■ ■'' ' ' .'/■* ' ■ i , i" - ._ -"-< ' 1 f> i • 



So he got back the three hundred tumans he had given her that day arid three nun-' 

 dred beside them. 



The lady could not resist coming in the morning to the door of the cafav'a'n'sera to 

 see the merchant. He began to rate her soundly, " You thought to yourself," said he, 

 " that you were wily ? You locked my friend in a box and got a hundred tumans out 

 of him merely to show how tricky and wily you were ? You didn't guess that there 



1 His smalt pagr'r, kamar-band, and hb-dast (or long tight cloak with tight sleeves) would pr claim him a merchant. 

 ' l Daldn, the entrance or hall, is between the outer door opening on to the street, and the inner door leading into the court- 

 yard. 



