There lived in the reign of the Caliph Hisham, son of Abd al-Malik, a man called Yunus the Scribe well known to the general, and he set out one day on a journey to Damascus, having with him a slave girl of surpassing beauty and loveliness, whom he had taught all that was needful to her and whose price was an hundred thousand dirhams. When they drew near to Damascus, the caravan halted by the side of a lake and Yunus went down to a quiet place with his damsel and took out some victual he had with him and a leather bottle of wine. As he sat at meat, behold, came up a young man of goodly favour and dignified presence, mounted on a sorrel horse and followed by two eunuchs, and said to him, "Will you accept me to guest?" "Yes," replied Yunus. So the stranger alighted and said, "Give me to drink of your wine." Yunus gave him to drink and he said, "If it please you, sing us a song." So Yunus sang this couplet extempore,

"She joins charms were never seen conjoined in mortal dress: And for her love she makes me love my tears and wakefulness."

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At which the stranger rejoiced with exceeding joy and Yunus gave him to drink again and again, till the wine got the better of him and he said, "Bid your slave girl sing." So she improvised this couplet,

"A houri, by whose charms my heart is moved to sore distress: Nor wand of tree nor sun nor moon her rivals I confess!"

The stranger was overjoyed with this and they sat drinking till nightfall, when they prayed the evening prayer and the youth said to Yunus, "What brings you to our city?" He replied, "Quest of wherewithal to pay my debts and better my case." The other said, "Will you sell me this slavegirl for thirty thousand dirhams?" Whereto Yunus said, "I must have more than that." He asked, "Will forty thousand content you?"; but Yunus answered, "That would only settle my debts, and I should remain empty handed." Rejoined the stranger, "We will take her of you at fifty thousand dirhams and give you a suit of clothes to boot and the expenses of your journey and make you a sharer in my condition as long as you livest." Cried Yunus, "I sell her to you on these terms." Then said the young man, "Will you trust me to bring you the money to morrow and let me take her with me, or shall she abide with you till I pay you down her price?" Whereto wine and shame and awe of the stranger led Yunus to reply, "I will trust you; take her and Allah bless you in her!" Whereupon the visitor bade one of his pages sit her before him on his beast, and mounting his own horse, farewelled of Yunus and rode away out of sight. Hardly had he left him, when the seller bethought himself and knew that he had erred in selling her and said to himself, "What have I done? I have delivered my slave girl to a man with whom I am unacquainted, neither know I who he is; and grant that I were acquainted with him, how am I to get at him?"

So he abode in thought till the morning, when he prayed the dawn prayers and his companions entered Damascus, whilst he sat, perplexed and knowing not what to do, till the sun scorched him and it irked him to abide there. He thought to enter the city, but said in his mind, "If I enter Damascus, I cannot be sure but that the messenger will come and find me not, in which case I shall have sinned against myself a second sin." Accordingly he sat down in the shade of a wall that was there, and towards the wane of day, up came one of the eunuchs whom he had seen with the young man, at which great joy possessed Yunus and he said in himself, "I know not that anything has ever given me more delight than the sight of this castrato." When the eunuch reached him, he said to him, "O my lord, we have kept you long waiting"; but Yunus disclosed nothing to him of the torments of anxiety he had suffered. Then the castrato said, "Know you the man who bought the girl of you?"; and Yunus said, "No," to which the other rejoined, "'Twas Walid bin Sahl, the Heir Apparent."

And Yunus was silent. Then said the eunuch, "Ride," and made him mount a horse he had with him and they rode till they came to a mansion, where they dismounted and entered. Here Yunus found the damsel, who sprang up at his sight and saluted him. He asked how she had fared with him who had bought her and she answered, "He lodged me in this apartment and ordered me all I needed." Then he sat with her awhile, till suddenly one of the servants of the house owner came in and bade him rise and follow him. So he followed the man into the presence of his master and found him yesternight's guest, whom he saw seated on his couch and who said to him, "Who are you?" "I am Yunus the Scribe." Welcome to you, O Yunus! By God, I have long wished to look on you; for I have heard of your report. How did you pass the night?" "Well, may Almighty Allah advance you!" "Perhaps you repented you of that you did yesterday and said to yourself: I have delivered my slave girl to a man with whom I am not acquainted, neither know I his name nor from where he comes?" "Allah forbid, O Emir, that I should repent over her! Had I made gift of her to the Prince, she were the least of the gifts that are given unto him,"—

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When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty fifth night

Walid rejoined, "By God, but I repented me of having carried her away from you and said to myself, 'This man is a stranger and knows me not, and I have taken him by surprise and acted inconsiderately by him, in my haste to take the damsel!' Do you recall what passed between us?" Yunus said, "Yes!" And Walid said, "Do you sell this damsel to me for fifty thousand dirhams?" And Yunus said, "I do." Then the Prince called to one of his servants to bring him fifty thousand dirhams and a thousand and five hundred dinars to boot, and gave them all to Yunus, saying, "Take the slave's price: the thousand dinars are for your fair opinion of us and the five hundred are for your viaticum and for what present you will buy for your people. Are you content?" "I am content," answered Yunus and kissed his hands, saying, "By God, you have filled my eyes and my hands and my heart!" Walid said, "By God, I have as yet had no privacy of her nor have I taken my fill of her singing. Bring her to me!" So she came and he bade her sit, then said to her, "Sing." And she sang these verses,

"O you who do comprise all Beauty's boons! O sweet of nature, glad of coquetry! In Turks and Arabs many beauties dwell; But, O my fawn, in none your charms I see. Turn to your lover, O my fair, and keep Your word, though but in visioned phantasy: Shame and disgrace are lawful for your sake And wakeful nights full fill with joy and glee: I'm not the first for you who fared distraught; Slain by your love how many a many be! I am content with you for worldly share Dearer than life and good are you to me!"

When he heard this, he was delighted exceedingly and praised Yunus for his excellent teaching of her and her fair education. Then he bade his servants bring him a roadster with saddle and housings for his riding, and a mule to carry his gear, and said to him, "O Yunus, when it shall reach you that command has come to me, do you join me; and, By God, I will fill your hands with good and advance you to honour and make you rich as long as you livest!" So Yunus said, "I took his goods and went my ways; and when Walid succeeded to the Caliphate, I repaired to him; and By God, he kept his promise and entreated me with high honour and munificence. Then I abode with him in all content of case and rise of rank and my affairs prospered and my wealth increased and goods and farms became mine, such as sufficed me and will suffice my heirs after me; nor did I cease to abide with Walid, till he was slain, the mercy of Almighty Allah be on him!" And men tell a tale concerning