Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/93

73 STORY OF THE UNLUCKY MERCHANT.

“There was once a man, a merchant, who was fortunate in trade, and at one time his [every] dirhem profited [him] fifty. Presently, his luck turned against him and he knew it not; so he said in himself, ‘I have wealth galore, yet do I weary myself and go round about from country to country; I were better abide in my own country and rest myself in my house from this travail and affliction and sell and buy at home.’ Then he made two parts of his money, with one whereof he bought wheat in summer, saying, ‘When the winter cometh, I will sell it at a great profit.’ But, when the winter came, wheat became at half the price for which he had bought it, whereat he was sore concerned and left it till the next year. However, next year, the price fell yet lower and one of his friends said to him, ‘Thou hast no luck in this wheat; so do thou sell it at whatsoever price.’ Quoth the merchant, ‘This long while have I profited and it is allowable that I lose this time. God is all-knowing! If it abide [with me] half a score years, I will not sell it save at a profit.’

Then, in his anger, he walled up the door of the granary with clay, and by the ordinance of God the Most High, there came a great rain and descended from the roofs of the house wherein was the wheat [so that the latter rotted]; and needs must the merchant give the porters five hundred dirhems from his purse, so they should carry it forth and cast it without the city, for that