Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/135

 thee in His holy keeping!), thou hast indeed recovered thy goods and naught of them is lost; so give me back my cloak.  The merchant laughed and, giving him back his cloak, let him go unhindered; whereupon both went their ways.  And they tell a tale of

MASRUR THE EUNUCH AND IBN AL-KARIBI

The Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, was exceedingly restless one night; so he said to his Wazir Jaafar, I am sleepless to-night and my breast is straitened and I know not what to do.  Now his castrato Masrúr was standing before him, and he laughed: whereupon the Caliph said At whom laughest thou? Is it to make mock of me or hath madness seized thee?  Answered Masrur, Nay, by Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundredth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Harun al-Rashid said to Masrur the Sworder, Dost thou laugh to make mock of me or hath madness seized thee?  Answered Masrur, Nay, by Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I swear by thy kinship to the Prince of Apostles, I did it not of my free will; but I went out yesterday to walk within sight of the palace and, coming to the bank of the Tigris, saw there the folk collected; so I stopped and found a man, Ibn al-Káribí hight, who was making them laugh; but just now I recalled what he said, and laughter got the better of me; and I crave pardon of thee, O Commander of the Faithful!  Quoth the Caliph, Bring him to me forthright; so Masrur repaired in all haste to Ibn al-Karibi and said to him, Answer the summons of the Commander of the Faithful, whereto he replied, I hear and obey.  But on condition, added Masrur, that, if he give thee aught, thou shalt have a quarter and the rest shall be mine.  Replied the droll, Nay, thou shalt have half and I half.  Rejoined Masrur, Not so, I will have three-quarters.  Lastly said Ibn al-Karibi, Thou shalt have two-thirds and I