HISTORIANS inform us, that some friends having prepared a banquet in a garden, enjoyed each other’s company; and, having collected every requisite of joy and festivity, in spite of fortune and defiance of care, pushing about the wine of mirth in the goblet of agreeable society, added lustre to the pleasure of association, by joyous remarks and bon mots exciting delight. In this situation, a stranger intruded upon their privacy, and after the Mahummedan custom, spoke the Salaum. The company returned the compliment in a cold man­ner, esteemed his arrival intrusive, and, not in the least attending to him, only regarded his presence as interrupt­ing their pleasant society.

The young man guessed their feel­ings; and glowing with the warmth of mortification, sat down bashfully on a corner of the carpet. After a little time, lifting his head from the collar of reflec­tion, he removed the talisman of silence from the treasure of speech, and scattered handfuls* of brilliant gems and princely pearls* before the company in his mirth-exciting deliveries; so that the cloud of sullenness became washed away from the countenances of the assembly, by the translucent water of his brilliant wit. The assembled friends, who till now were frozen like ice, became softened by his pleasant manners; and the rose-buds of their minds, which had become shrunk from the young man’s intrusion, he expanded into blossom, by the breezes of his pleasant narratives, various anec­dotes, delightful jests, and witty repar­tees. In short, he made the company so happy, that regarding now his presence as most fortunate, they valued his acquaintance in their hearts, and treasured up the riches of his friendship in their minds.

The young man had a great share of personal comeliness, but upon his face were some uncommon marks; one like the astronomical figure of seven, and another in the form of a cross. One of the company observing this, said to him, “From thy heart-delighting words, the minds of us friends have expanded like the rose; but do not refrain to explain the cause of these fresh characters which are stamped on the pages of your noble aspect; for your humble servants are puzzled, and, if it is not an impertinence, request that they may hear from your pearl-like narrative the explication of this significant (sooreh) mystery, so that by your kindness they may unravel the knot of doubt from the skein of their hearts.” The young man, drawing his head from compliance, begged to be excused from the unreasonable demand, and made apologies; but his friends becoming still more curious, importuned him to unfold the secret.

The young man, instigated by a wish to satisfy their minds, remediless, expanded his tongue to speech, and said, “Although this adventure is not fit to come into the mould of narration, yet, out of regard to the wish of my friends, I will relate it.”