Achmed Abdullah,
The Thief of Bagdad — Chapter VIII
(1924)
“ When he awakened, it was night; night, complete, swathing, pitch-black, with only a single elfin wedge of moonlight that outlined sharply the old man who was still aimlessly rowing his frail boat—seemed not to have moved as much as an inch. Then, all at once, the conviction came to Ahmed that this was the Old Man of the Midnight Sea, and that this lake was none other than the Sea of Resignation to Fate. ”
Achmed Abdullah,
The Thief of Bagdad — Chapter VIII
(1924)
“ Such, doubtless, were Ahmed’s thoughts about Zobeid. Nor was he the only one. By the teeth of the Prophet—on Him the salute!—I myself, the scribe of this tale, met in Samarkand a woman, seventy years old, stupid, and who looked exactly like a well-fed pig. Yet I met a man in Samarkand who swore upon the Koran that this woman was so beautiful that she caused the moon to blush with envy and jealousy. Love is indeed as blind as a puppy-dog!” But, if love is as blind as a puppy-dog, how blind then is conceit? ”
Achmed Abdullah,
The Thief of Bagdad — Chapter VIII
(1924)
“ If your own love for Zobeid be great enough, your resignation to God’s will sincere enough, you will find this door. You will open it. And, beyond the threshold, you will see the magic silver box.” “What does the box contain?” demanded Ahmed. “A very precious treasure. The most precious treasure in the world. Some men call it happiness. But emperors, fools, and wise men call it honor. It is the same thing. By the way,” he added as Ahmed stood up, about to dive into the lake—“the magic box is wrapped in the Cloak of Invisibility. If I were you I would bring the cloak along, too. ”
