"I Was once a ferryman on the Nile and used to ply between the eastern and the western banks. Now one day, as I sat in my boat, there came up to me an old man of a bright and beaming countenance, who saluted me and I returned his greeting; and he said to me, 'Will you ferry me over for the love of Allah Almighty?' I answered, 'Yes,' and he continued, 'Will you moreover give me food for Allah's sake?'; to which again I answered, 'With all my heart.' So he entered the boat and I rowed him over to the eastern side, remarking that he was clad in a patched gown and carried a gourd bottle and a staff. When he was about to land, he said to me, 'I desire to lay on you a heavy trust.' I, said, 'What is it?' He said, 'It has been revealed to me that my end is nearhand and that tomorrow about noon you will come and find me dead under that tree. Wash me and wrap me in the shroud you will see under my head and after you have prayed over me, bury me in this sandy ground and take my gown and gourd and staff, which do you deliver to one who shall come and demand them of you.' I marvelled at his words, and I slept there. On the morrow I awaited till noon the event he had announced, and then I forgot what he had said till near the hour of afternoon prayer, when I remembered it and hastening to the appointed place, found him under the tree, dead, with a new shroud under his head, exhaling a fragrance of musk. So I washed him and shrouded him and prayed over him, then dug a hole in the sand and buried him, after I had taken his ragged gown and bottle and staff, with which I crossed the Nile to the western side

Ferryman Of The Nile And The Hermit. 289 and there nighted. As soon as morning dawned and the city gate opened, I sighted a young man known to me as a loose fellow, clad in fine clothes and his hands stained with Henna, who said to me, 'Are you not such an one?' 'Yes,' answered I; and he said, 'Give me the trust.' I, said, 'What is that?' He said, 'The gown, the gourd and the staff.' I asked him, 'Who told you of them?' and he answered, 'I know nothing save that I spent yesternight at the wedding of one of my friends singing and carousing till daylight, when I lay me down to sleep and take my rest; and behold, there stood by me a personage who said, 'truly Allah Almighty has taken such a saint to Himself and has appointed you to fill his place; so go you to a certain person (naming the ferryman), and take of him the dead man's gown and bottle and staff, for he left them with him for you.' So I brought them out and gave them to him whereupon he doffed his clothes and, donning the gown, went his way and left me. And when the glooms closed around me, I fell a weeping; but, that night, while sleeping I saw the Lord of Holiness (glorified and exalted be He!) in a dream saying, 'O my servant, is it grievous to you that I have granted to one of My servants to return to Me? Indeed, this is of My bounty, that I vouchsafe to whom I will, for I over all things am Almighty.' So I repeated these couplets,

'Lover with loved loses will and aim! All choice (an could you know) were sinful shame. Or grant He favour and with union grace, Or from you turn away, He has no blame. An from such turning you no joy enjoy Depart! the place for you no place became. Or can His near discern not from His far? Then Love's in vain and you'rt a rear and lame. If pine for You afflict my sprite, or men Hale me to death, the rein Your hand shall claim!

So turn You to or fro, to me 'tis one; What You ordainest none shall dare defame: My love has nothing of aim but Yours approof And if You say we part I say the same.'"

And of the tales they tell is one concerning