# Arabian Nights Entertainments (1706)/Volume 5/The Taylor

HE Taylor continued:to tell the Sultan of Caſgar the Story which he had begun: Sir, ſays he, the lame young Man went on thus: When I heard all that the Barber ſaid to the Cadis, I Fought fora Place to hide my ſelf, and could find-nothing but a great empty Trunk, in which I lay down and ſhut it upon me. The Barber, after he had ſearched every where, came into the Chamber where I was, and opening the Trunk, as ſoon as he ſaw me, he took it upon his Head and carry’d it away. He came down a high Stair-caſe into a Court, which he went through very ſpeedily, and got to the Street, While he carry’d me, the Trunk unhappily opened, and I not being able to endure to be expos’d to the View and Shouts of the Mob that follow’d us, leap’d out into the Street with ſo much haſte that I hurt my Leg, ſo ​as I have been lame ever ſince. I was not ſenſible how bad it was at firſt, and therefore got up quickly to get away from the People, who laugh’d at me; nay, I threw handfuls of Gold and Silver among them, and whilſt they were gathering it up, I made my Eſcape by croſs Streets and Alleys. But the curſed Barber improving the Stratagem that I had made uſe of to get away from the Mob, follow’d me cloſe, crying, ſtay Sir, why do you run fo faſt? If you knew how much I am afflicted at the ill Treatment you received from the Cadis, you, who are ſo generous a Perſon, and to whom I and my Friends are ſo much oblig’d! Did not I tell you truly, that you would, expoſe your Life by your obſtinate Refuſal to let me go with you? See now, what has happened to you by your own Fault? and if I had not reſolutely follow’d you, to ſee whither you went, what would have become of you? Whither you go then, Sir, ſtay for me.
Thus the wretched Barber cry’d aloud in the Street; it was not enough for him to have occaſioned ſo great a Scandal in the Quarter of the Cadis, but he would have it be known through the whole Town. I was in ſuch a Rage, that I had a great mind to have ſtay’d and cut his Throat; but conſidering that that would have perplex’d me farther, I choſe another Courſe; for perceiving that his calling after me, expoſed me to vaſt Numbers of People, who crowded to their Doors or Windows, or ſtopt in the Streets to gaze on me, I enter’d into a * Khan or Inn, the Chamberlain of which knew me; and finding him at the Gate, whither the Noiſe had brought him, pray’d him, for the Sake of Heaven, to hinder that Madman from coming in after me, He promiſed to do ſo, and was as good as his Word; but not without a great deal of Trouble, for the obſtinate Barber would go in in ſpight of him, and did not retire without calling him a thouſand ill Names; and after the Chamberlain ſhut the Gate, the Barber continued telling the Mob what great Service he had done me. Thus I rid my ſelf of that troubleſome Fellow, After that, the Chamberlain pray’d me to ​tell him my Adventure which I did, and then deſired him to let me have an Apartment until I were cured: But, Sir, ſays he, won’t it be more convenient for you to go Home? I will not return thither, ſaid I, for the deteſtable Barber will continue plaguing me there, and I ſhall die of Vexation to be continually teaz’d by him. Beſides, after what has befallen me to Day, I cannot think of ſtaying any longer in this Town, I muſt go whither my ill Fortune leads me: And actually, when I was cur’d, I took all the Money I thought neceſſary for my Travels, and gave the reſt of my Eſtate among my Kindred.
Thus, Gentlemen, I left Bagdad, and came hither. I had Ground to hope that I ſhould not meet this pernicious Barber in a Country ſo far from my own, and yet I found him amongſt you: Don’t be ſurpriz’d then at my Haſte to be gone, you may eaſily judge how unpleaſant to me the Sight of a Man is, who was the occaſion of my Lameneſs, and of my being reduc’d to the melancholy Neceſſity of living ſo far from my Kindred, Friends, and Country. When he had ſpoke theſe Words; the lame young Man roſe up and went out; the Maſter of the Houſe conducted him to the Gate, and told him he was ſorry that he had given him, tho’ innocently, ſo great a Subject of Mortification.
When the young Man was gone, continued the Taylor, we were all aſtoniſh’d at the Story, and turning to the Barber, told him he was very much in the wrong, if what he had juſt now heard were true. Gentlemen, anſwers he, raiſing up his Head, which ’till then he had held down, my Silence during the young Man’s Diſcourſe is enough to teſtify, that he advanced nothing that was not true: But for all that he has ſaid to you, I maintain that I ought to have done what I did; I leave your- ſelves to be Judges of it. Did not he throw himſelf into Danger, and: could he have come off ſo well without my Aſſiſtance? He was too happy to get off with a lame Leg. Did not I expoſe my ſelf into a greater Danger to get him out of an Houſe, where I thought he was ill treated? Has he any Reaſon to complain of me, and to give me fo many bad Words? This is what one gets by ſerving unthankful People. He accuſes me of being a prating Fellow, which is a mere Slan-​der: Of ſeven Brothers there’s of us, I am he who ſpeak the leaſt, and have moſt Wit for my ſhare; and to perſwade you of it, Gentlemen, I need only to tell my own Story and theirs, Honour me, I beſeech you, with your Attention.