Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/138

 Whereupon straightway it swooped down and perched on his finger. Then quoth he, Return to thy place; and it did so. Presently he said, Alight on the hand of the Commander of the Faithful; but it refused there to perch, and he cried to his father, It is thou that disgracest me amongst the Holy [FN#160] Ones, by the love of the world; and now I am resolved to part from thee, never to return to thee, save in the world to come.  Then he went down to Bassorah, where he took to working with those which wrought in clay, [FN#161] receiving, as his days hire, but a dirham and a danik; [FN#162] and with the danik he fed himself and gave alms of the dirham. (Quoth Abú Amir of Bassorah) There fell down a wall in my house; so I went forth to the station of the artisans to find a man who should repair it for me, and my eyes fell on a handsome youth of a radiant countenance. So I saluted him and asked him, O my friend, dost thou seek work? Yes, answered he; and I said, Come with me and build a wall.  He replied, On certain conditions I will make with thee.  Quoth I What are they, O my friend?; and quoth he, My wage must be a dirham and a danik, and again when the Muezzin calleth to prayer, thou shalt let me go pray with the congregation.  It is well, answered I and carried him to my lace, where he fell to work, such work as I never saw the like of. Presented I named to him the morning-meal; but he said, No; and I knew that he was fasting. [FN#163]  When he heard the call to prayer, he said to me, Thou knowest the condition?  Yes, answered i.  So he loosed his girdle and, applying himself to the lesser ablution, made it after a fashion than which I never saw a fairer; [FN#164] then he went to the mosque and