Pagina 129 de 1116

So we voyaged on, and my heart became attached to her with

exceeding attachment, and I was separated from her neither night

nor day, and I paid more regard to her than to my brothers. Then

they were estranged from me, and waxed jealous of my wealth and

the quantity of merchandise I had, and their eyes were opened

covetously upon all my property. So they took counsel to murder

me and seize my wealth, saying, "Let us slay our brother and all

his monies will be ours;" and Satan made this deed seem fair in

their sight; so when they found me in privacy (and I sleeping by

my wife's side) they took us both up and cast us into the sea. My

wife awoke startled from her sleep and, forthright becoming an

Ifritah,[FN#57] she bore me up and carried me to an island and

disappeared for a short time; but she returned in the morning and

said, "Here am I, thy faithful slave, who hath made thee due

recompense; for I bore thee up in the waters and saved thee from

death by command of the Almighty.