Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Basem; Or, The Blacksmith. An Oriental Apologue.
from his hands , and the recollection of his guests occurred to his mind . " O the scoundrels ! " said he to himself , " might I but find them out , and satisfy my anger . They impudently supposed this would happen , and it has happened : they did but- hint at it , and the unfortunate moment is come , " Whilst Basem was confused , vexed , and uncertain what to do , his master said to him , " Why should you
be uneasy , Basem ? . you have no wife , no children , nor any one to take care of but yourself . I , unfortunate man , am the father of a family , and if unemploj'ed for three days , how shall I possibly pro-, cure food for them . I know that this mischief has happened to me on your account ; every morning you come to work half drunk ; this is a curse which you have brought upon uswho for twenty years
, have never abstained one night from drinking wine : get out of my sight , and never venture to shew yourself here again ; go , Sir , go and beg for these three days . " On this he . began to abuse Basem * , who , lost in the confusion and perplexity of his thoughts , hastily departed . * ' . " O Alia \ " said heas he went alongrubbing his fingersand
, , , biting his lips ; " O that I could meet with these my rascally guests ; their words have proved true ; from the moment of their visit and prediction , I thought it would be an unfortunate day . " For some time he wandered about the streets , perfectly at a loss what to do . By accident he came near : a bath ; he entered it , intending to wash
himself : in the passage he met with a servant of the bagnio , whose name was Caled ; the boy had formerly been a servant of Basem , who treated him with great . kindness , and had recommended him to this very situation in the bath : Caled immediately recognised his old friend , and going up to him , saluted him , and kissed his hand : " "Welcome , " said he , " Hadge Basem , my friend and patron , is there anything in which I can serve you ? " " O" said Basem" that
, , , cold-blooded Khalif ; al Rasheed , has put a stop to the trade of the blacksmith , ¦ and has threatened to . hang any one of us , who shall work at our business before the expiration of three days . Now , Caled , you very well know that I have not a farthing to spend this evening , and if I shall leave off but for once my old habits , I doubt not but that some great mischief will come upon me . Alas , I know no
other trade \ " " O , " said Caled , " don ' t make yourself uneasjr , Basem ; surely , upon an occasion , you can stroke in the hummums ,, scrub with a hair bag , rub the legs of a customer , and wash his head with soap and the leefy * . You shall work with us for the three days , and then go back to your former employment . " After a while Caled prevailed ; he then tied a large apron about Basem ' s waistand
, furnished him with a bag , three rasors , a stone for rubbing the leers , and a leefy . . In a short time , several persons came to the bath , and Caled sent Basem to wait upon them ; he did so , and performed hi ? , office as well as he could : the first on whom he waited gave him two drachms , another gave one , some gave one piece of money , some an-i
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Basem; Or, The Blacksmith. An Oriental Apologue.
from his hands , and the recollection of his guests occurred to his mind . " O the scoundrels ! " said he to himself , " might I but find them out , and satisfy my anger . They impudently supposed this would happen , and it has happened : they did but- hint at it , and the unfortunate moment is come , " Whilst Basem was confused , vexed , and uncertain what to do , his master said to him , " Why should you
be uneasy , Basem ? . you have no wife , no children , nor any one to take care of but yourself . I , unfortunate man , am the father of a family , and if unemploj'ed for three days , how shall I possibly pro-, cure food for them . I know that this mischief has happened to me on your account ; every morning you come to work half drunk ; this is a curse which you have brought upon uswho for twenty years
, have never abstained one night from drinking wine : get out of my sight , and never venture to shew yourself here again ; go , Sir , go and beg for these three days . " On this he . began to abuse Basem * , who , lost in the confusion and perplexity of his thoughts , hastily departed . * ' . " O Alia \ " said heas he went alongrubbing his fingersand
, , , biting his lips ; " O that I could meet with these my rascally guests ; their words have proved true ; from the moment of their visit and prediction , I thought it would be an unfortunate day . " For some time he wandered about the streets , perfectly at a loss what to do . By accident he came near : a bath ; he entered it , intending to wash
himself : in the passage he met with a servant of the bagnio , whose name was Caled ; the boy had formerly been a servant of Basem , who treated him with great . kindness , and had recommended him to this very situation in the bath : Caled immediately recognised his old friend , and going up to him , saluted him , and kissed his hand : " "Welcome , " said he , " Hadge Basem , my friend and patron , is there anything in which I can serve you ? " " O" said Basem" that
, , , cold-blooded Khalif ; al Rasheed , has put a stop to the trade of the blacksmith , ¦ and has threatened to . hang any one of us , who shall work at our business before the expiration of three days . Now , Caled , you very well know that I have not a farthing to spend this evening , and if I shall leave off but for once my old habits , I doubt not but that some great mischief will come upon me . Alas , I know no
other trade \ " " O , " said Caled , " don ' t make yourself uneasjr , Basem ; surely , upon an occasion , you can stroke in the hummums ,, scrub with a hair bag , rub the legs of a customer , and wash his head with soap and the leefy * . You shall work with us for the three days , and then go back to your former employment . " After a while Caled prevailed ; he then tied a large apron about Basem ' s waistand
, furnished him with a bag , three rasors , a stone for rubbing the leers , and a leefy . . In a short time , several persons came to the bath , and Caled sent Basem to wait upon them ; he did so , and performed hi ? , office as well as he could : the first on whom he waited gave him two drachms , another gave one , some gave one piece of money , some an-i