As long as our father lived Alnaschar was very idle（懒散的）. Instead of working for his bread he was not ashamed to ask for it every evening, and to support himself next day on what he had received the night before. When our father died, worn out by age, he only left seven hundred silver drachmas to be divided amongst us, which made one hundred for each son. Alnaschar, who had never possessed¹ so much money in his life, was quite puzzled to know what to do with it. After reflecting upon the matter for some time he decided² to lay it out on glasses, bottles, and things of that sort, which he would buy from a wholesale³ merchant. Having bought his stock he next proceeded to look out for a small shop in a good position, where he sat down at the open door, his wares⁴ being piled up in an uncovered basket in front of him, waiting for a customer among the passers-by. 

 

In this attitude he remained seated, his eyes fixed⁵ on the basket, but his thoughts far away. Unknown to himself he began to talk out loud, and a tailor, whose shop was next door to his, heard quite plainly what he was saying. 

 

"This basket," said Alnaschar to himself, "has cost me a hundred drachmas-- all that I possess in the world. Now in selling the contents piece by piece I shall turn two hundred, and these hundreds I shall again lay out in glass, which will produce four hundred. By this means I shall in course of time make four thousand drachmas, which will easily double themselves. When I have got ten thousand I will give up the glass trade and become a jeweller（珠宝商）, and devote all my time to trading in pearls, diamonds, and other precious stones. At last, having all the wealth that heart can desire, I will buy a beautiful country house, with horses and slaves, and then I will lead a merry life and entertain my friends. At my feasts I will send for musicians and dancers from the neighbouring town to amuse my guests. In spite of my riches I shall not, however, give up trade till I have amassed⁶ a capital of a hundred thousand drachmas, when, having become a man of much consideration, I shall request the hand of the grand-vizir's daughter, taking care to inform the worthy⁷ father that I have heard favourable⁸ reports of her beauty and wit, and that I will pay down on our wedding day 3 thousand gold pieces. Should the vizir（元老，高官） refuse my proposal, which after all is hardly to be expected, I will seize him by the beard and drag him to my house." 

 

When I shall have married his daughter I will give her ten of the best eunuchs that can be found for her service. Then I shall put on my most gorgeous robes, and mounted on a horse with a saddle of fine gold, and its trappings blazing with diamonds, followed by a train of slaves, I shall present myself at the house of the grand-vizir, the people casting down their eyes and bowing low as I pass along. At the foot of the grand-vizir's staircase I shall dismount, and while my servants stand in a row to right and left I shall ascend⁹ the stairs, at the head of which the grand-vizir will be waiting to receive me. He will then embrace me as his son-in-law, and giving me his seat will place himself below me. This being done (as I have every reason to expect), two of my servants will enter, each bearing a purse containing a thousand pieces of gold. One of these I shall present to him saying, "Here are the thousand gold pieces that I offered for your daughter's hand, and here," I shall continue, holding out the second purse, "are another thousand to show you that I am a man who is better than his word." After hearing of such generosity¹⁰ the world will talk of nothing else. 

 

I shall return home with the same pomp（盛况） as I set out, and my wife will send an officer to compliment me on my visit to her father, and I shall confer on the officer the honour of a rich dress and a handsome gift. Should she send one to me I shall refuse it and dismiss the bearer. I shall never allow my wife to leave her rooms on any pretext¹¹（借口，托辞） whatever without my permission, and my visits to her will be marked by all the ceremony calculated to inspire respect. No establishment will be better ordered than mine, and I shall take care always to be dressed in a manner suitable to my position. In the evening, when we retire to our apartments, I shall sit in the place of honour, where I shall assume a grand demeanour（行为） and speak little, gazing straight before me, and when my wife, lovely as the full moon, stands humbly¹² in front of my chair I shall pretend not to see her. Then her women will say to me, "Respected lord and master, your wife and slave is before you waiting to be noticed. She is mortified¹³ that you never deign¹⁴ to look her way; she is tired of standing¹⁵ so long. Beg her, we pray you, to be seated." Of course I shall give no signs of even hearing this speech, which will vex¹⁶ them mightily¹⁷. They will throw themselves at my feet with lamentations, and at length I will raise my head and throw a careless glance at her, then I shall go back to my former attitude. The women will think that I am displeased¹⁸ at my wife's dress and will lead her away to put on a finer one, and I on my side shall replace the one I am wearing with another yet more splendid. They will then return to the charge, but this time it will take much longer before they persuade me even to look at my wife. It is as well to begin on my wedding-day as I mean to go on for the rest of our lives.

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