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The next day Taher did a whole day's work in just a few hours so that he could go in the mid-afternoon to the palm-tree and sing his new songs to spirit his new beloved out of her home. He went there and sang soulfully but his beloved did not seem to have heard him this time round. He came back at the same time the next day and the day after and belted out his best new songs, but the woman he was after did not turn up again.

"So was the Qadi beguiling me with promises when he spoke to me about that ghost of a woman?" Taher thought gloomily at the end of that day. "The Qadi himself has simply departed from our land! But when he comes back, I'll make it clear to him that I don't want this ghost of a woman anymore!..."

* * *

When Taher learned that the Qadi was somewhere around, he left everything behind and ran to him.

"Oh, Taher, how are you?" said the Qadi.

"A lot you care!" said Taher with a nasty look in his eye.

"Oh,

Taher, is this the right way to speak to a Qadi? Last time I said nothing, but try to be a little more polite. Now then, what's the problem?"

"The problem," said Taher in a broken voice, "is that you beguiled me with vague promises."

"You love her, then!" said the Qadi, rubbing his neck. "I expected that, and maybe she'll soon be all in all to you!"

"I don't want her to be all in all to me."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know her. I can't love a ghost."

"So what do you want now?"

"I want to see her and meet up with her every week as I used to do with Zina."

"I don't think that would be possible," said the Qadi, shaking his head. "This young woman is not like Zina, nor like anyone you have seen before. But if you have something to say to her, I will be pleased to be your carrier pigeon. That's all I can do for you."

Taher mellowed suddenly.

"Yes, Qadi," he said sheepishly. "I have something to say to her. If you, Qadi, think she deserves my love, then I want to marry her."

"Alright," said the Qadi with a merry smile. "I shall tell her and bring you the news as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Qadi!" said Taher, leaning forward to kiss the Qadi's hand. "

* * *

Hours later, Taher appeared to have come in from the cold. His beloved turned up again. She sat down in her usual place and listened patiently while Taher sang to her with all his heart.

At sunset the young woman returned home and Taher went to mosque. The mystery remained whole. To unlock it, Taher mounted his horse two days later and rode to the Qadi. He found him in a tearoom in a nearby market.

"Qadi," he said coyly, "I am troubled about something. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night."

"What's the problem?" said the Qadi, pouring tea in green cups beautifully arranged on a silver tray.

"Qadi, before you tell me whether she agreed or not, I would like to know two things."

"One?"

"Well, I want to know her name."

"And two?"

"I also want to know whether she's beautiful, because, you

know, it would be hard for me to marry a woman with a plain face."

The Qadi sighed. Taher's heart throbbed.

"Taher," said the Qadi suddenly, "by coming to me now you've relieved me of a burden, because, you know, I couldn't come to you. I'm sorry, but I only have depressing news for you."

"What do you mean?"

The Qadi sighed again, and said:

"The woman is not going to marry you unless you meet certain demands."

"Of course her father won't give her to me for free, but first answer my questions. Tell me her name."

"I can't tell you her name."

"Is she beautiful?"

"I can't tell you that, either."

"Why not?"

"Well, I doubt whether you'll be able to meet her demands.

In fact, I was going to ask you to forget all about her."

Now Taher had a wild look in his eyes. He swallowed hard.

"You let me down last time," he muttered, "and now again–"

The Qadi cut him short.

"Can you satisfy her conditions?" he said defiantly.

Taher sobered down, then said in a mumble:

"What on earth does she want?"

"Well, she says to you: make me two dresses: a dfina and a tahtiya. Make them with your own hands and send them to me. I will try them on, and if they suit me beautifully, I will yet ask you to make me seven more dresses, so that I can have a dress to wear everyday of the week. If you do that, then that would be my dowry, and I'll marry you then."

The Qadi's words had the effect of a spell on Taher. His eyes now glittered. Having noticed that, the Qadi went on charming away Taher's cares:

"Let me tell you something, Taher. You know, with all your goods and chattel, you will never marry this woman unless she believes that you are the right man for

her!"

For a moment, Taher had his head in the clouds. Then, he came round, and said:

"Why shan't I buy her as many good dresses as she would like? I could order for her the best dresses from the best tailors in the country! I am not a tailor, you know. It would take me years and years to become a dressmaker. Would she be

willing and able to wait until I have learnt all about sewing and dressmaking?"

"I'll put that question to her and bring you her answer," said the Qadi, lifting another cup of tea to his mouth.

* * *

Taher saw his beloved twice after that meeting with the Qadi, for she came to her usual place by the riverbank and listened patiently to his singing. But all Taher could see of her was a white piece of cloth wrapped round a human body. She was still a featureless woman.

"Would the Qadi choose her for me if she hadn't a pleasant face?" Taher asked himself yet again when he was having dinner with his family at home that night. "But whatever her face is like, does

she think of me? Does she think of me as much as I think of her now? I saw her yesterday and today. Does it mean that she cares?..."

* * *

"Taher," said the Qadi on

his return to the village two days later, "I put your questions to your beloved."

"Really?" said Taher, sitting up in front of the Qadi in the shade of the terebinth-tree.

"Well, she says to you: Make the first dresses as I told you.

If you can't make a dfina and a tahtiya at this stage, then make me two dresses of your own choice, but then these must be ravishing dresses. I'll be waiting for you to finish them. I give you this pledge. The Qadi, who is a very special person to me, bears witness to this. As to my name, I am called Ezzahia. I am only eighteen years old. So I can wait until you have made all the dresses. But don't try to look for me before then. If you do try to look for me before I send for you, then make sure you'll never see me again. That's what she said."

Taher bowed his head, lost in thought.

"How does it sound to you?" said the Qadi suddenly.

"Honestly," said Taher, raising his eyes,

"I am intrigued. I am bewitched."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, really."

"Taher, you have no choice but to make dresses for your beloved. You see, she has already tried to help you by giving you a pledge. And she says if you can't make a dfina and a tahtiya, just make me good dresses of your own choice. What more could you expect of her?"

"What if someone else came in my absence and asked for her hand from her father, would she resist?"

"Look here, don't worry about that! As long as I live no one but you will marry her if you remain faithful to her and make all the dresses she's asked for."

"I'll make them!" said Taher, rising to his feet. "So help me God! Do say a prayer for me, Qadi!"

The Qadi prayed for him, and both walked slowly along the riverbank, from the terebinth-tree to the palm-tree.

* * *

From THE TAILOR by

Mohamed Ali LAGOUADER