Such was the state of his mind when the tablets, which were thrown by at
the approach of the dwarfs, again attracted his eye; he took them up, but
was ready to drop on the ground when he beheld, in large red characters,
these words inscribed by Carathis, which were indeed enough to make him
tremble:
"Beware of thy old doctors, and their puny messengers of but one cubit
high; distrust their pious frauds, and, instead of eating their melons,
impale on a spit the bearers of them. Shouldst thou be such a fool as to
visit them, the portal of the subterranean palace will be shut in thy
face, and with such force as shall shake thee asunder; thy body shall be
spit upon, and bats will engender in thy belly."
"To what tends this ominous rhapsody?" cries the Caliph. "And must I
then perish in these deserts with thirst, whilst I may refresh myself in
the valley of melons and cucumbers! Accursed be the Giaour, with his
portal of ebony! he hath made me dance attendance too long already.
Besides, who shall prescribe laws to me? I forsooth must not enter any
one's habitation! Be it so; but what one can I enter that is not my
own?"
Bababalouk, who lost not a syllable of this soliloquy, applauded it with
all his heart, and the ladies for the first time agreed with him in
opinion.
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