The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, vol 4

he Thief and the Shroff 49. The Chief of the Kus Police and the Sharper 50. Ibrahim Bin Al-Mahdi and the Merchant's Sister 51. The Woman Whose Hands were Cut Off For Giving Alms to the Poor 52. The Devout Israelite 53. Abu Hassan Al-Ziyadi and the Khorasan 54. The Poor Man and His Friend in Need 55. The Ruined Man Who became Rich Again Through A Dream 56. Caliph Al-Mutawakkil and His Concubine Mahbubah 57. Wardan the Butcher; His Adventure With the Lady and the Bear 58. The King's Daughter and the Ape

The Book of the Thousand Nights and A Night

Ni'amah bin al-Rabi'a and Naomi his Slave-girl.

There lived once in the city of Cufa[FN#1] a man called Al-Rabí'a bin Hátim, who was one of the chief men of the town, a wealthy and a healthy, and Heaven had vouchsafed him a son, whom he named Ni'amah Allah.[FN#2] One day, being in the slave-brokers' mart, he saw a woman exposed for sale with a little maid of wonderful beauty and grace on her arm. So he beckoned to the b