and the Imam Abu Yusuf.

It is said that Ja'afar the Barmecide was one night carousing with Al-Rashid, who said, "O Ja'afar, it has reached me that you have bought such and such a slavegirl. Now I have long sought her for she is passing fair; and my heart is taken up with love of her, so do you sell her to me." He replied, "I will not sell her, O Commander of the Faithful." he said, "Then give her to me." the other said, "Nor will I give her." Then Al-Rashid exclaimed, "Be Zubaydah triply divorced If you shall not either sell or give her to me!" Then Ja'afar ex claimed, "Be my wife triply divorced If I either sell or give her to you!" After awhile they recovered from their tipsiness and were aware of having fallen into a grave dilemma, but knew not by what device to extricate themselves. Then said Al-Rashid "None can help us in this strait but Abu Yusuf." So they sent for him, and this was in the middle of the night; and when the messenger reached him, he arose in alarm, saying to himself, "I should not be sent for at this tide and time, save by reason of some question of moment to Al Islam." So he went out in haste and mounted his she mule, saying to his servant, "Take the mule's nose bag with you; it may be she has not finished her feed; and when we come to the Caliph's palace, put the bag on her, that she may eat what is left of her fodder, during the last of the night." And the man replied, "I hear and obey."

Now when the Imam was admitted to the presence, Al-Rashid rose to receive him and seated him on the couch beside himself (where he was wont to seat none save the Kazi), and said to him, "We have not sent for you at this untimely time and tide save to advise us upon a grave matter which is such and such and wherewith we know not how to deal." And he expounded to him the case. Abu Yusuf answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, this is the easiest of things." Then he turned to Ja'afar and said, "O Ja'afar, sell half of her to the Commander of the Faithful and give him the other half; so shall you both be quit of your oaths." The Caliph was delighted with this and both did as he prescribed. Then said Al-Rashid, "Bring me the girl at once,"—

When it was the Two Hundred and seventh night

So they brought her and the Caliph said to Abu Yusuf, "I have a mind to have her directly; for I cannot bear to abstain from her during the prescribed period of purification; now how is this to be done?" Abu Yusuf replied, "Bring me one of yours own male slaves who has never been manumitted." So they brought one and Abu Yusuf said, "Give me leave to marry her to him; then let him divorce her before consummation; and thus shall it be lawful for you to lie with her before purification." This second expedient pleased the Caliph yet more than the first; he sent for the Mameluke and, whenas he came, said to the Kazi, "I authorise you to marry her to him." So the Imam proposed the marriage to the slave, who accepted it, and performed the ceremony; after which he said to the slave, "Divorce her, and you will have an hundred dinars." But he replied, "I won't do this;" and the Imam went on to increase his offer, and the slave to refuse till he bid him a thousand dinars. Then the man asked him, "Does it rest with me to divorce her, or with you or with the Commander of the Faithful?" He answered, "It is in your hand." "Then By God," the slave said, "I will never do it; no, never!" Hearing these words the Caliph was exceeding wroth and said to the Imam, "What is to be done, O Abu Yusuf?" he replied, "Be not concerned, O Commander of the Faithful; the thing is easy. Make this slave the damsel's chattel." Al-Rashid said, "I give him to her;" and the Imam said to the girl, "Say: I accept." So she said, "I accept;" on which Abu Yusuf said, "I pronounce separation from bed and board and divorce between them for that he has become her property, and so the marriage

THE LOVER WHO FEIGNED HIMSELF A THIEF. 155 is annulled." With this, Al-Rashid rose to his feet and exclaimed, "It is the like of you that shall be Kazi in my time." Then he called for sundry trays of gold and emptied them before Abu Yusuf, to whom he said, "Have you in which to put this?" The Imam bethought him of the mule's nosebag; so he sent for it and, filling it with gold, took it and went home. And on the morrow, he said to his friends, "There is no easier nor shorter road to the goods of this world and the next, than that of religious learning; for, see, I have gotten all this money by answering two or three questions." So consider you, O polite reader, the pleasantness of this anecdote, for it comprises divers goodly features, amongst which are the complaisance of Ja'afar to Al-Rashid, and the wisdom of the Caliph who chose such a Kazi and the excellent learning of Abu Yusuf, may Almighty Allah have mercy on their souls one and all! And they also tell the