You know , ' he continued , addressing the Cadi , ` that during the first years of my marriage I had three sons by the beautiful Zambac . When he was three years old a holy dervish gave the eldest a string of the finest coral , saying `` Keep this treasure carefully , and be faithful to the Prophet , and you will be happy . '' To the second , who now stands before you , he presented a copper plate on which the name of Mahomet was engraved in seven languages , telling him never to part from his turban , which was the sign of a true believer , and he would taste the greatest of all joys ; while on the right arm of the third the dervish clasped a bracelet with the prayer that his right hand should be pure and the left spotless , so that he might never know sorrow . ` My eldest son neglected the counsel of the dervish and terrible troubles fell on him , as also on the youngest . To preserve the second from similar misfortunes I brought him up in a lonely place , under the care of a faithful servant named Gouloucou , while I was fighting the enemies of our Holy Faith . On my return from the wars I hastened to embrace my son , but both he and Gouloucou had vanished , and it is only a few months since that I learned that the boy was living with a man called Mohammed , whom I suspected of having stolen him . Tell me , my son , how it came about that you fell into his hands . ' ` My lord , ' replied Neangir , ' I can remember little of the early years of my life , save that I dwelt in a castle by the seashore with an old servant . I must have been about twelve years old when one day as we were out walking we met a man whose face was like that of this Jew , coming dancing towards us . Suddenly I felt myself growing faint . I tried to raise my hands to my head , but they had become stiff and hard . In a word , I had been changed into a copper pot , and my arms formed the handle . What happened to my companion I know not , but I was conscious that some one had picked me up , and was carrying me quickly away . ` After some days , or so it seemed to me , I was placed on the ground near a thick hedge , and when I heard my captor snoring beside me I resolved to make my escape . So I pushed my way among the thorns as well as I could , and walked on steadily for about an hour . ` You can not imagine , my lord , how awkward it is to walk with three legs , especially when your knees are as stiff as mine were . At length after much difficulty I reached a market-garden , and hid myself deep down among the cabbages , where I passed a quiet night . ` The next morning , at sunrise , I felt some one stooping over me and examining me closely . `` What have you got there , Zinebi ? '' said the voice of a man a little way off . '
`` The most beautiful pot in the whole world , '' answered the woman XXXXX me , `` and who would have dreamed of finding it among my cabbages ! ''
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