My sixth brother, O Commander of the Faithful, Shakashik, the Many-Clamorous one, who had his lips cut off, was once rich but became poor. One day, desperate for food, he went out to beg. As he walked along, he suddenly came upon a large and beautiful mansion with an impressive gatehouse at the entrance, where several eunuchs stood. He asked one of the attendants to whom the palace belonged. They replied, "It belongs to a member of the Barmaki family." So he approached the gatekeepers and asked them for charity. They said, "Enter through the great gate and the Wazir, our master, will give you what you need."

He entered and walked through the outer chambers. After a time, he came to a mansion of extraordinary beauty and elegance, with marble pavements, magnificent curtains, and a flower garden in its centre unlike any he had ever seen. My brother stood bewildered, uncertain where to go. Then, seeing someone at the far end of the sitting chamber, he walked toward him. There he found a handsome man with a fine beard. When this man saw my brother, he rose to greet him warmly and asked about his situation. My brother replied that he was in need and required charity. At these words, the great man showed deep concern. He tore his fine robe and exclaimed, "What! Am I in this city and you here hungry? I cannot bear such shame!" He promised my brother every comfort and said, "You must stay with me and eat my bread." "O my lord," said my brother, "I cannot wait any longer, for I am dying of hunger." The man called out, "Bring me a basin and pitcher!" And said to my brother, "Come forward, my guest, and wash your hands." My brother rose to wash, but he saw neither basin nor pitcher. Yet his host began to wash his hands with invisible soap in water he pretended to pour, and called out, "Bring the table!"

Again, my brother saw nothing. But the host said, "Do me the honour of eating this meat, and do not be shy." He moved his hand as if eating and said to my brother, "I am surprised you are eating so sparingly. Do not hold back—I know you must be famished." So my brother began to pretend to eat while his host said, "Eat and note the excellent quality and whiteness of this bread!" But my brother saw nothing. He said to himself, "This man is a trickster who enjoys mocking people," and replied, "O my lord, in all my days I have never seen bread so fine in appearance or so sweet in taste." The Barmaki said, "This bread was baked by a slave girl I purchased for five hundred dinars." Then he called out, "Bring the meat dish for our first course, with plenty of fat in it!" Turning to my brother, he said, "My guest, in God's name, have you ever seen anything better than this meat pudding? Eat, by my life, and do not hold back." Soon he called out again, "Serve the marinated stew with the fatted partridge!" And said to my brother, "Come now and eat, O my guest, for you are hungry and need sustenance."

My brother began to move his jaws and pretend to chew, while the host called for dish after dish, each time producing nothing but the order to eat. "Bring us the chickens stuffed with pistachio nuts!" he called out, and said to my brother, "By my life, O my guest, I have fattened these chickens on pistachios alone. Eat, for you have never tasted their equal." "O my lord," replied my brother, "they are indeed excellent." The host continued to gesture as if giving my brother bites of food, describing dish after dish to the hungry man, whose hunger grew more intense. He now desired even a simple piece of barley bread. The Barmaki asked, "Have you ever tasted anything more delicious than the seasoning of these dishes?" My brother answered, "Never, O my lord!" "Eat heartily and do not be shy," said the host. My brother replied, "I have eaten my fill of meat." So the entertainer called out, "Clear the table and bring the sweets!" And turned to my brother, saying, "Eat this almond conserve—it is excellent—and these honey fritters. Take this one, by my life, the syrup runs out of it." The hungry man replied, "May I never be parted from you, O my lord," and asked about the abundant musk in the fritters. "It is my custom," the host answered, "to put a dinar's weight of musk in every honey fritter and half that amount of ambergris."

All this time my brother kept nodding his head and moving his jaws. At last the host said, "That is enough. Bring us the dessert!" He turned to my brother and said, "Eat of these almonds, walnuts, and raisins, and all these other dried fruits, and do not be shy." But my brother replied, "O my lord, I am truly full and cannot eat another bite." The host urged him again, "O my guest, if you wish to eat these things, do so. Allah! Allah! Do not remain hungry!" My brother answered, "O my lord, how can he be hungry who has eaten all these dishes?" Then my brother thought to himself, "I will do something that will make him regret these pranks." The host soon called out, "Bring me the wine!" And, moving his hands as if setting cups before them, he gave my brother a cup and said, "Take this cup and tell me if it pleases you." "O my lord," replied my brother, "it has a noble aroma, but I am accustomed to drinking wine that is twenty years old." The host said, "This wine would be excellent if you knocked at this door—there is nothing better." "By your generosity," said my brother, gesturing as if he were drinking. "To your health and joy!" exclaimed the master, and he pretended to fill a cup for himself and drink it, then handed another cup to my brother, who drank from his imaginary cup and began to act as if he were drunk. Suddenly, he caught the host off guard. Raising his arm and baring his armpit, he gave the host a tremendous slap on the back of his neck that echoed through the palace. Then he struck him a second time, and the host cried out, "What is this, you scum of the earth?" My brother replied, "O my lord, you have shown such kindness to your slave and admitted me to your home and given me food. Then you gave me your old wine until I became drunk and unruly.

But you are too noble not to overlook his foolishness and pardon him." When the Barmaki heard my brother's words, he laughed heartily and said, "For many years I have enjoyed making fun of people and acting the madman among my friends, but I have never encountered anyone with the patience and wit to match my humours as you have. I forgive you, and you shall be my true companion from this day forward. Never leave me." He then ordered his servants to set the table properly, and they brought out all the dishes he had named in jest. He and my brother ate until they were satisfied. Then they moved to the wine chamber, where they found beautiful maidens, bright as the moon, who sang every kind of song and played every kind of instrument. They remained there drinking until the wine overcame them. The host treated my brother like a brother, bestowed upon him a robe of honour, and loved him dearly. The next morning, they began feasting and carousing again, and they continued this life together for twenty years. At the end of that time, the Barmaki died, and the Sultan seized all his wealth and took everything from my brother, leaving him a pauper without a penny. So he left the city and set out, not knowing where he was going.

But when he was halfway between two towns, Bedouin Arabs fell upon him, bound him, and carried him to their camp. His captor began to torture him, demanding, "Give me your money to buy your life, or I will kill you!" My brother wept and replied, "By God, I have nothing—no gold or silver. I am your prisoner, so do with me as you will." The Bedouin drew a knife, sharp and broad enough to sever a camel's jugular vein in one stroke, and he cut off my brother's lips. He continued to demand money from him. This Bedouin had a beautiful wife who, in her husband's absence, used to flirt with my brother and offer him her affections, but he refused. One day she tempted him again, and he played with her and made her sit on his lap. Just then, the Bedouin came in. Seeing this, he cried out, "Woe to you, you cursed villain! Would you seduce my wife?" He drew a knife and cut off my brother's manhood, then bound him on a camel and carried him to a mountain, where he abandoned him. Eventually some people found my brother and recognised him. They gave him food and drink and told me of his condition. I went out to him, brought him back to Baghdad, and gave him an allowance sufficient for his needs.

This, then, O Commander of the Faithful, is the history of my six brothers. I was afraid to leave your presence without telling you their stories, lest you judge me to be like them. Now you know that I have six brothers depending upon me, and because I am more upright than they, I support the entire family. When the Caliph heard my story and all I told him about my brothers, he laughed and said, "You speak truth, O Silent Man! You are indeed a person of few words and there is nothing forward or presumptuous about you. But now you must leave this city and settle elsewhere." And he banished me by edict. I left Baghdad and travelled to foreign lands until I heard of his death and the accession of another Caliph. Then I returned to Baghdad and found that all my brothers had died. By chance, I encountered this young man, and I rendered him the greatest service, for without me he would surely have been killed. Yet he slanders me and accuses me of faults that are not in my nature. What he says about my impudence, meddling, and forwardness is false and empty. The truth is that on his account I left Baghdad and travelled through many countries until I came to this city and met him here in your presence. Was this not an act of generosity and noble character?