Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/301

273 in dirhems?’ ‘I want nor dirhems nor dinars,’ answered the fisherman. ‘I only want thee to give me back folk’s fish.’ With this the Jew was enraged and cried out at him, saying, ‘O fisherman, thou bringest me a fish, that is not worth a dinar, and I give thee five for it; yet art thou not content! Art thou mad? Tell me for how much thou wilt sell it.’ ‘I will not sell it for silver nor gold,’ answered Khelifeh, ‘only for two words that thou shalt say to me.’

When the Jew heard this, he rolled his eyes and breathed hard and ground his teeth for rage and said to him, ‘O scum of the Muslims, wilt thou have me forswear my faith for the sake of thy fish, and wilt thou debauch me from my religion and my belief that I inherited from my forefathers?’ Then he cried out to his servants, saying, ‘Out on you! Baste me this unlucky rogue’s back and drub him soundly!’ So they fell on him and beat him till he fell down beneath the shop, and the Jew said to them, ‘Leave him and let him rise.’ Whereupon Khelifeh sprang up, as if nothing ailed him, and the Jew said to him, ‘Tell me what price thou askest for the fish and I will give it thee; for thou hast gotten but scurvy fare of us this day.’ ‘Have no fear for me, O master,’ answered the fisherman, ‘because of the beating; for I can eat ten asses’ allowance of stick.’

The Jew laughed at his words and said, ‘God on thee, tell me what thou wilt have and by the virtue of my faith, I will give it thee!’ Quoth the fisherman, ‘I will take nothing of thee save the two words I spoke of.’ And the

VOL. VII.