Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/310

282 ‘I hear and obey,’ answered the Khalif and mounting, left him with the fish.

Then he spurred his mule, in great good humour, and ceased not laughing over his adventure with the fisherman, till he came up to Jaafer, who said to him, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, belike, when thou wentest to drink, thou foundest a pleasant garden and enteredst and tookst thy pleasure therein alone?’ At this Er Reshid fell a-laughing again and all the Barmecides rose and kissed the ground before him, saying, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, may God make joys to endure for thee and do away troubles from thee! What was the cause of thy tarrying and what hath befallen thee?’ ‘Verily,’ answered the Khalif, ‘a right rare and pleasant thing hath befallen me.’ And he told them what had passed between himself and the fisherman, how he had accused him of stealing his clothes and he had given him his gown and how he had cut off a part of it, finding it too long for him. ‘By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful,’ said Jaafer, ‘I had it in mind to beg the gown of thee: but now I will go straight to the fisherman and buy it of him.’ ‘By Allah,’ answered the Khalif, ‘he hath cut off a third part of the skirt and spoilt it! But, O Jaafer, I am tired with fishing in the river, for I have caught great store of fish, and my master Khelifeh is waiting with them on the river-bank for me to return to him with a couple of frails and a cleaver. Then we are to go, he and I, to the market and sell the fish and share the price.’

‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ said Jaafer, ‘I will bring you a purchaser for your fish.’ And Er Reshid rejoined, ‘O Jaafer, by the virtue of my holy forefathers, whoso bringeth me one of the fish that are before Khelifeh, who