garden, deal with him as thou wilt." Now on this day the
Gardener chanced to be abroad on some occasion and returning
found these two sleeping at the gate covered with a single
mantilla; whereupon said he, "By Allah, good! These twain know
not that the Caliph hath given me leave to slay anyone I may
catch at the door; but I will give this couple a shrewd whipping,
that none may come near the gate in future." So he cut a green
palm-frond[FN#44] and went up to them and, raising his arm till
the white of his arm-pit appeared, was about to strike them, when
he bethought himself and said, "O Ibrahim, wilt thou beat them
unknowing their case? Haply they are strangers or of the Sons of
the Road,[FN#45] and the decrees of Destiny have thrown them
here. I will uncover their faces and look at them." So he
lifted up the mantilla from their heads and said, "They are a
handsome couple; it were not fitting that I should beat them."
Then he covered their faces again and, going to Nur al-Din's
feet, began to rub and shampoo them,[FN#46] whereupon the youth
opened his eyes and, seeing an old man of grave and reverend
aspect rubbing his feet, he was ashamed and drawing them in, sat
up. Then he took Shaykh Ibrahim's hand and kissed it. Quoth the
old man, "O my son, whence art thou?"; and quoth he, "O my lord,
we two are strangers," and the tears started from his eyes. "O
my son," said Shaykh Ibrahim, "know that the Prophet (whom Allah
bless and preserve!) hath enjoined honour to the stranger;" and
added, "Wilt not thou arise, O my son, and pass into the garden
and solace thyself by looking at it and gladden thy heart?" "O
my lord," said Nur al-Din, "to whom doth this garden belong?;"
and the other replied, "O my son, I have inherited it from my
folk." Now his object in saying this was to set them at their
ease and induce them to enter the garden. So Nur al-Din thanked