Then said she to the
woman, "What is thy name?" "O my lady," replied she, "my name is
Taufic." "And what is thy daughter's name?" asked she.
"Saad,"[FN#74] answered the slave. "Thou sayst sooth," rejoined
her mistress. "Thou art indeed happy, and happy is he who hath
bought thee." Then said she to her husband, "O my cousin, what
wilt thou call her?" "What thou choosest," answered he. "Then
let us call her Num,"[FN#75] quoth she, and he said, "Good." The
little Num was reared with Er Rebya's son Nimeh in one cradle and
each grew up handsomer than the other. They were wont to call
each other brother and sister, till they came to the age of ten,
when Er Rebya said to Nimeh, "O my son, Num is not thy sister,
but thy slave. I bought her in thy name, whilst thou wast yet in
the cradle; so call her no more 'sister' from this day forth."
"If that be so," quoth Nimeh, "I will take her to wife." Then he
went to his mother and told her of this, and she said to him, "O
my son, she is thy handmaid." So he went in to Num and loved her
and two years passed over them, whilst Num grew up, nor was there
in all Cufa a fairer or sweeter or more graceful girl than she.
She learnt the Koran and all manner of knowledge and excelled in
music and singing and playing upon all kinds of instruments, so
that she surpassed all the folk of her time.
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