laud to the Lord, who hath so utterly relieved thee of thy
burthen," and she fell to muttering Names over the newborn. Then
quoth he, "Have a care of the little one and keep it from cold
draughts ;" for the trick had taken completely with the Kazi and
he said in his mind, "Allah createth whatso He willeth: even men
if so predestined can bring forth." And presently he added, "O
woman, look out for a wet nurse to suckle him;" and she replied,
"O my lord, the nurse is with me in the women's apartments." Then
having sent away the babe and its mother she came up to the Kazi
and washed him and removed the basin from under him and made him
lie at full length. Presently after taking thought he said, "O
woman, be careful to keep this matter private for fear of the
folk who otherwise might say, 'Our Kazi hath borne a babe.' " She
replied, "O my lord, as the affair is known to other than our two
selves how can we manage to conceal it?" and after she resumed,
"O my husband, this business can on no wise be hidden from the
people for more than a week or at most till next month." Herewith
he cried out, "O my calamity; if it reach the ears of folk and
they say, 'Our Kazi hath borne a babe,' then what shall we do?"
He pondered the matter until morning when he rose before daylight
and, taking some provaunt secretly, made ready to depart the
city, saying, "O Allah, suffer none to see me!" Then, after
giving his wife charge of the house and bidding her take care of
his effects and farewelling her, he went forth secretly from her
and journeyed that day and a second and a third until the
seventh, when he entered Damascus of Syria where none knew him.
But he had no spending money for he could not persuade himself to
take even a single dinar from his hoard and he had provided
himself with naught save the meagrest provision. So his condition
was straitened and he was compelled to sell somewhat of his