89-4-1 - The Story of the Hunchback (8 of 21) :
The Story Told by the Jewish Physician-2

On the 28th Night contd ...

Then the Jew physician started his story - "This was the most wonderful event of my younger days. I lived in Damascus of Syria where I studied and practiced. One day an Officer came to me from the house of Governor, and I went with him to the Governor's house. I saw a young sick man lying on a couch. Seated near his head I read a prayer for his restoration and then asked him to give me his hand. I checked his pulse and wrote a prescription and continued to visit him for 10 days, till he recovered his strength. He then took bath himself, and the Governor conferred upon me a dress of honor and appointed me the Superintendent of the hospital of Damascus.

I accompanied him to the bath, but when he entered the bath, and took off his clothes, I noticed that his right hand has been cruelly amputated freshly and he had been beaten also. He said to me - "O Doctor, Do not be surprised at my case. I will tell you about myself later." When he had eaten some food after taking the bath, he asked me if I would like to hear his story?" I said, "Sure." He immediately ordered a slave to roast a lamb and bring us some fruits. When we had eaten the fruits, I asked him to tell his story.

He said - "I am of the children of al-Mosil. My paternal grandfather died leaving 10 male children, one of whom was my father. He was the eldest of them. He is only one who had any children, me, but none of his other brothers had any children. So I grew up with my uncles and they loved me very much. When I had grown up, I went to the Mosque of al-Mosul. The day was Friday, we performed the congregational prayers, after that all people went away except my father and his brothers. They talked about other places until they mentioned about Egypt. One of my uncles said - "The travelers say that there is no other agreeable country on the earth other than Egypt with its Nile." My father said - "Who has not seen Cairo, has not seen the world. Its soil is gold, its Nile is a wonder, its houses are palaces, its air is temperate etc. etc."

When I heard the descriptions of Egypt, I longed to go there. A few days after this, my uncles prepared for the journey to go there and I expressed my wish to go with them. So my father bought me some merchandise and I traveled with them to Egypt. But he said to them - "Do not take him to Egypt, but leave him at Damascus and he might sell his merchandise there." So we left al-Mosul, and came to Aleppo where we stayed for a few days, we again resumed our journey and came to Damascus. We stayed there at one of the Khaans until they sold and bought, and they sold my merchandise too for five times profit. My uncles then left me there and went to Egypt. I stayed back there and took up my abode. I was hired by a jeweler for two pieces of gold per month.

I started enjoying my stay here, that one day when I was sitting at the door of the Kaah, that a girl approached me and I invited her to come in. She came in without hesitation and I closed the door behind her. She was so beautiful that I fell in love with her instantly, so I got her some good food. We ate and drank together till we were intoxicated and fell asleep; and so we remained till the morning. Next morning I gave her 10 pieces of gold, but she refused to take them from me. While going she told me that I should expect her after three days in the night.

After three days, she came again clad in an embroidered dress and ornaments more magnificent than before. This time I had made arrangements of eating and drinking before she came, so we ate and drank and slept as before. In the morning she gave me 10 pieces of gold and went away. She came again after three days and asked me - "Am I not beautiful?" "Oh, yes, sure." "Would you permit me to bring with me a girl more beautiful and younger than me, that she may sport with us and we may enjoy with her? Because she has requested that she may accompany me and pass the night in having fun with us." And she gave me 20 pieces of gold to prepare plentiful food for all of us.

So on the fourth day, I arranged everything for them, and she came with another girl in the evening. The new girl was like a moon. She was indeed more beautiful than the first one. I gave her drink and caressed her. But the first girl was affected with secret jealousy, "By Allaah, She is beautiful. Is she not more beautiful than me?" "Yes, She is." Soon after this I fell asleep. And when I woke up in the morning, I found my hands defiled with blood. As the Sun had risen, I had to wake up my new companion, so as I woke her up, her head rolled down her body. The other girl had gone. I dug a hole in the Kaah and buried the girl there along with her jewelry, paid the rent for one year and left for Egypt."

Contd on 9th Page