Thousand & One Nights: 154th Night: The Barber Tells His Story - 3

The barber tells about his hunchback brother. The wife found that the tailor was interested in her. She took advantage of this, and got her blouse stitched, then she got her pair of trousers stitched. Then her husband  invited him to his house.

The tailor went to the house. The husband said to my brother, "Make this into shirts for me." My brother fell to work and cut out twenty shirts and as many trousers by the nightfall, without stopping to eat, and handed them to the husband. The  husband asked my brother, "What is your fee?" My brother replied, "Twenty dirhams." Husband yelled at the maid, "Bring the scales." At that moment the lady came, seemingly angry at my brother for accepting the money. My brother realised this, and said, "By God, I will take nothing from you." He was in dire need of money, yet he returned without getting any remuneration. For three days all he ate was two loaves of bread and he almost died of hunger.

The maid came to him and asked, "What have you done"? He replied, "They are finished." Carrying them he went with her to the husband. Husband received the goods and proceeded to make payment. Afraid of the lady my brother said, "I will take nothing." He went home, but he could not sleep because of hunger.

Next morning the maid came to him and said, "My master wishes to speak to you." He went to the master of the house.

"I would like you to make me some robes."

He made five robes and went to the master of the house. The master appreciated his work, and called for purse. My brother was happy and ready to receive the money. But the lady came and signalled not to take payment. He said, "My lord there is no hurry." He returned to his shop sighing both for money and the lady. He was beset by five things: love, destitution, hunger, nakedness, and toil; nonetheless he kept up his resolve. It was a ploy by the lady and her husband. She had told her husband about my brother's infatuation with her, and had planned to take advantage of it.

Somehow, they tricked him, and married him to their maid, but when he wanted to go into her, they said to him, "Sleep in the mill tonight, and tomorrow you will consummate your marriage." My brother lay alone in the mill, and in the middle of the night, the miller, who had been sent by the husband, came in, saying, "What is the matter with this wretched mule? He stopped turning, and there is much wheat to be ground." He filled the hoppers with grain, and going on to my brother with a rope, tied him to the yoke.

Morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.