Page:Muhammad Diyab al-Itlidi - Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalîfahs - Alice Frere - 1873.djvu/195

166 "What is the son of thy brother about? For verily he is wanted by el-Hajjâj."

The uncle replied, "Of a truth the son of my brother is otherwise occupied than with el-Hajjâj. Verily, he has been visited by disorder in his reason."

The soldier said, "I know nothing about that, but he must go this moment, there is no help for it."

So the uncle went and said to him, "O son of my brother! el-Hajjâj has really sent to seek thee. Shall I therefore liberate thee?"

He answered, "No; unless in his presence."

So they bore him upon men's backs, in his fetters and chains, until they came before el-Hajjâj. And he, when he beheld him afar off, welcomed him until he reached his presence. Then the young man displayed his fetters and chains, and said, "God save the Prince! Verily the end of my affair is more wonderful than the beginning of it." And he related to him his story. And el-Hajjâj marvelled, and said, "O Khâlid! make what we had ordered for the young man double."

So he received the whole fortune, and his condition was excellent; and he continued to be nightly tale-teller to el-Hajjâj until he died.