In all the countries of the world the folk make use of it, And
eaten 'tis in Ramazan, after mid-afternoon?'
She answered, 'The sugar-cane;' and he said, 'Tell me of many
things.' 'What are they?' asked she; and he said, 'What is
sweeter than honey, what is sharper than the sword, what is
swifter than poison, what is the delight of a moment and what
the contentment of three days, what is the pleasantest of days,
what is the joy of a week, what is the debt that the worst
payer denieth not, what is the prison of the tomb, what is the
joy of the heart, what is the snare of the soul, what is death
in life, what is the malady that may not be healed, what is the
reproach that may not be done away, what is the beast that
harbours not in cultivated fields, but lodges in waste places
and hates mankind and hath in it somewhat of the make of seven
strong beasts?' Quoth she, 'Hear what I shall say in answer;
then put off thy clothes, that I may expound to thee.' Then the
Khalif said, 'Expound, and he shall put off his clothes.' So
she said, 'That, which is sweeter than honey, is the love of
pious children to their parents; that, which is sharper than
the sword, is the tongue; that, which is swifter than poison,
is the evil eye; the delight of a moment is coition and the
contentment of three days is the depilatory for women; the
pleasantest of days is that of profit on merchandise; the joy
of a week is the bride; the debt, which the worst payer denieth
not, is death; the prison of the tomb is an ill son; the joy of
the heart is a woman obedient to her husband, (and it is said
also that, when fleshmeat descends upon the heart, it rejoiceth
therein); the snare [or vexation] of the soul is a disobedient
slave; death in life is poverty; the malady, that may not be
healed, is an ill nature and the reproach, that may not be done
away, is an ill daughter; lastly, the beast that harbours not
in cultivated fields, but lodges in waste places and hates
mankind and hath in it somewhat of the make of seven strong
beasts, is the locust, whose head is as the head of the horse,
its neck as the neck of the bull, its wings as the wings of the
vulture, its feet as the feet of the camel, its tail as the
tail of the serpent, its body as the body of the scorpion and
its horns as the horns of the gazelle.
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