Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/60

42 up to him and handled him and felt him from head to tail, saying, ‘Yes, [it is] in him.’ Quoth another, [‘Nay,] it is not in him.’ And they gave not over doing the like of this.

Then they accosted the owner of the ass and chaffered with him and he said, ‘I will not sell him but for ten thousand dirhems.’ They offered him a thousand dirhems; but he refused and swore that he would not sell the ass but for that which he had said. They ceased not to add to their bidding, till the price reached five thousand dirhems, whilst their fellow still said, ‘I will not sell him but for ten thousand dirhems.’ The money-changer counselled him to sell, but he would not do this and said to him, ‘Harkye, gaffer! Thou hast no knowledge of this ass’s case. Concern thyself with silver and gold and what pertaineth thereto of change and exchange; for indeed the virtue of this ass passeth thy comprehension. To every craft its craftsman and to every means of livelihood its folk.’

When the affair was prolonged upon the three sharpers, they went away and sat down a little apart; then they came up to the money-changer privily and said to him, ‘If thou canst buy him for us, do so, and we will give thee a score of dirhems.’ Quoth he, ‘Go away and sit down afar from him.’ So they did his bidding and the money-changer went up to the owner of the ass and gave not over tempting him with money and cajoling him and saying, ‘Leave yonder fellows and sell me the ass, and I will reckon him a gift from thee,’ till he consented to sell him the ass for five thousand and five hundred