There was once in tides of old and in ages and times long gone before in the city of Baghdad a fisherman, Khalífah called, a pauper people, who had never once been married in all his days. It chanced one morning, that he took his net and went with it to the river, as was his wont with the view of fishing before the others came. When he reached the bank, he girt himself and tucked up his skirts; then stepping into the water, he spread his net and cast it a first cast and a second but it brought up nothing. He did not stop to throw it, till he had made ten casts, and still nothing came up within it; Why his breast was straitened and his mind perplexed concerning his case and he said, "I crave pardon of God the Great, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal, and unto Him I repent. There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Whatever He wills is and whatever He nills is not! Upon Allah (to whom belong Honour and Glory!) depends daily bread! Whenas He gives to His servant, none denies him; and whenas He denies a servant, none gives to him." And of the excess of his distress, he recited these two couplets:

An Fate afflict you, with grief manifest, Prepare your patience and make broad your breast; For of His grace the Lord of all the worlds Shall send to wait upon unrest sweet Rest.

Then he sat awhile pondering his case, and with his head bowed down recited also these couplets:

Patience with sweet and with bitter Fate! And weet that His will He shall consummate: Night oft upon woe as on abscess acts And brings it up to the bursting state: And Chance and Change shall pass over the youth And fleet from his thoughts and no more shall bait.

Then he said in his mind, "I will make this one more cast, trusting in Allah, so Perhaps He may not disappoint my hope;" and he rose and casting into the river the net as far as his arm availed, gathered the cords in his hands and waited a full hour, after which he pulled at it and, finding it heavy,—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty second night

So he rose and threw the net and waited a full hour, after which time he pulled at it and, finding it heavy, handled it gently and drew it in, little by little, till he got it ashore, when lo and behold! he saw in it a one eyed, lame legged ape. Seeing this Khalifah said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah!

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 147 truly, we are Allah's and to Him we are returning! What means this heart breaking, miserable ill luck and hapless fortune? What is come to me this blessed day? But all this is of the destinies of Almighty Allah!" Then he took the ape and tied him with a cord to a tree which grew on the river bank, and grasping a whip he had with him, raised his arm in the air, thinking to bring down the scourge upon the quarry, when Allah made the ape speak with a fluent tongue, saying, "O Khalifah, hold your hand and beat me not, but leave me bounden to this tree and go down to the river and cast your net, confiding in Allah; for He will give you your daily bread." Hearing this Khalifah went down to the river and casting his net, let the cords run out. Then he pulled it in and found it heavier than before; so he did not stop to tug at it, till he brought it to land, when, behold, there was another ape in it, with front teeth wide apart, Kohl darkened eyes and hands stained with Henna dyes; and he was laughing and wore a tattered waist cloth about his middle. Khalifah said, "Praised be Allah who has changed the fish of the river into apes!"

Then, going up to the first ape, who was still tied to the tree, he said to him, "See, O unlucky, how fulsome was the counsel you gayest me! None but you made me light on this second ape: and for that you gayest me good morrow with your one eye and your lameness, I am become distressed and weary, without dirham or dinar." So saying, he seized in hand a stick and flourishing it thrice in the air, was about to come down with it upon the lame ape, when the creature cried out for mercy and said to him, "I conjure you, By God, spare me for the sake of this my fellow and seek of him your need; for he will guide you to your desire!" So he held his hand from him and throwing down the stick, went up to and stood by the second ape, who said to him, "O Khalifah, this my speech will profit you nothing, except you hearken to what I say to you; but, If you do my bidding and cross me not, I will be the cause of yours enrichment." Asked Khalifah, "And what have you to say to me that I may obey you within it?"

The Ape answered, "Leave me bound on the bank and hie you down to the river; then cast your net a third time, and after I will tell you what to do." So he took his net and going down to the river, cast it once more and waited awhile. Then he drew it in and finding it heavy, laboured at it and did not stop his travail till he got it ashore, when he found in it yet another ape; but this one was red, with a blue waistcloth about his middle; his hands and feet were stained with Henna and his eyes blackened with Kohl. When Khalifah saw this, he exclaimed, "Glory to God the Great! Extolled be the perfection of the Lord of Dominion! Truly, this is a blessed day from beginning to end: its ascendant was fortunate in the countenance of the first ape, and the scroll is known by its superscription! Truly, today is a day of apes: there is not a single fish left in the river, and we are come out today but to catch monkeys!" Then he turned to the third ape and said, "And what thing are you also, O unlucky?" the ape said, "Do you not know me, O Khalifah! "; and He said, "Not I!"

The ape cried, "I am the ape of Abu al-Sa'ádát the Jew, the shroff." Asked Khalifah, "And what do you for him? "; and the ape answered, "I give him good morrow at the first of the day, and he gains five ducats; and again at the end of the day, I give him good even and he gains other five ducats." Whereupon Khalifah turned to the first ape and said to him, "See, O unlucky, what fine apes other folk have! As for you, you give me good morrow with your one eye and your lameness and your ill omened phiz and I become poor and bankrupt and hungry!" So saying, he took the cattle stick and flourishing it thrice in the air, was about to come down with it on the first ape, when Abu al-Sa'adat's ape said to him, "Let him be, O Khalifah, hold your hand and come here to me, that I may tell you what to do." So Khalifah threw down the stick and walking up to him cried, "And what have you to say to me, O monarch of all monkeys?" Replied the ape, "Leave me and the other two apes here, and take your net and cast it into the river; and whatever comes up, bring it to me, and I will tell you what shall

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 149 gladden you."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty third night

She pursued, the ape of Abu al-Sa'adat said to Khalifah, "Take your net and cast it into the river; and whatever comes up bring it to me and I will tell you what shall gladden you." He replied, "I hear and obey," and took the net and gathered it on his shoulder, reciting these couplets:

When straitened is my breast I will of my Creator pray, Who may and can the heaviest weight lighten in easiest way; For before man's glance can turn or close his eye by God His grace Waxes the broken whole and yields jail its prison prey. Therefore with Allah one and all of your concerns commit Whose grace and favour men of wit shall nevermore gainsay.

And also these twain:

You are the cause that castest men in ban and bane; Sorrow even so and sorrow's cause You can assain: Make me not covet anything that lies beyond my reach; How many a greedy people his wish has failed to gain!

Now when Khalifah had made an end of his verse, he went down to the river and casting his net, waited awhile; after which he drew it up and found within it a fine young fish, with a big head, a tail like a ladle and eyes like two gold pieces. When Khalifah saw this fish, he rejoiced, for he had never in his life caught its like, so he took it, marvelling, and carried it to the ape of Abu al-Sa'adat the Jew, as 'twere he had gotten possession of the universal world. the ape said, "O Khalifah, what will you do with this and with yours ape? "; and the Fisherman said I will tell you, O monarch of monkeys all I am about to do. Know then that first, I will cast about to make away with that accursed, my ape, and take you in his stead and give you every day to eat of whatever you will." Rejoined the ape, "Since you have made choice of me, I will tell you how you will do in which, if it please

Allah Almighty, shall be the mending of your fortune. Lend your mind, then, to what I say to you and 'tis this! Take another cord and tie me also to a tree, where leave me and go to the midst of The Dyke and cast your net into the Tigris. Then after waiting awhile, draw it up and you will find within it a fish, than which you never saw a finer in your whole life. Bring it to me and I will tell you how you will do after this." So Khalifah rose directly and casting his net into the Tigris, drew up a great cat fish the bigness of a lamb; never had he set eyes on its like, for it was larger than the first fish. He carried it to the ape, who said to him, "Gather you some green grass and set half of it in a basket; lay the fish within it and cover it with the other moiety. Then, leaving us here tied, shoulder the basket and betake you to Baghdad. If any bespeak you or question you by the way, answer him not, but fare on till you come to the market street of the money changers, at the upper end whereof you will find the shop of Master Abu al-Sa'adat the Jew, Shaykh of the shroffs, and will see him sitting on a mattress, with a cushion behind him and two coffers, one for gold and one for silver, before him, while around him stand his Mamelukes and negro slaves and servant lads. Go up to him and set the basket before him, saying,:—O Abu al-Sa'adat, truly I went out today to fish and cast my net in your name, and Allah Almighty sent me this fish. He will ask, Have you shown it to any but me?; and do you answer, No, By God!

Then will he take it of you and give you a dinar. Give it him back and he will give you two dinars; but do you return them also and so do with everything he may offer you; and take nothing from him, though he give you the fish's weight in gold. Then will he say to you, Tell me what you would have; and do you reply, By God, I will not sell the fish save for two words! He will ask, What are they?

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 151

And do you answer, Stand up and say, Bear witness, O you who are present in the market, that I give Khalifah the fisherman my ape in exchange for his ape, and that I barter for his lot my lot and luck for his luck. This is the price of the fish, and I have no need of gold. If he do this, I will every day give you good morrow and good even, and every day you will gain ten dinars of good gold; whilst this one eyed, lame legged ape shall daily give the Jew good morrow, and Allah shall afflict him every day with an avanie which he must needs pay, nor will he cease to be thus afflicted till he is reduced to beggary and has nothing. Hearken then to my words; so will you prosper and be guided aright." Khalifah said, "I accept your counsel, O monarch of all the monkeys! But, as for this unlucky, may Allah never bless him! I know not what to do with him." the ape said, "Let him go into the water, and let me go also." "I hear and obey," answered Khalifah and unbound the three apes, and they went down into the river. Then he took up the cat fish which he washed then laid it in the basket upon some green grass, and covered it with other; and lastly shouldering his load, set out chanting the following Mawwál:

Your case commit to a Heavenly Lord and you will safety see; Act kindly through your worldly life and live repentance free. Mate not with folk suspected, lest eke you should suspected be And from reviling keep your tongue lest men revile at you!

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty fourth night

But he paid no heed to them and passed on till he came to the market street of the money changers and fared between the shops, as the ape had charged him, till he found the Jew seated at the upper end, with his servants in attendance upon him, as he were a King of the Kings of Khorasan. He knew him at first sight; so he went up to him and stood before him, whereupon Abu al-Sa'adat raised his eyes and recognising him said, "Welcome, O Khalifah! What want you and what is your need? If any have missaid you or spited you, tell me and I will go with you to the Chief of Police, who shall do you justice on him." Replied Khalifah, "Nay, as your head lives, O chief of the Jews, none has missaid me. But I went forth this morning to the river and, casting my net into the Tigris on your luck, brought up this fish." Therewith he opened the basket and threw the fish before the Jew who admired it and said, "By the Pentateuch and the Ten Commandments, I dreamt last night that the Virgin came to me and said:—Know, O Abu al-Sa'adat, that I have sent you a pretty present! And doubtless 'tis this fish."

Then he turned to Khalifah and said to him, "By your faith, has any seen it but I?" Khalifah replied, "No, By God, and by Abu Bakr the Viridical, none has seen it save you, O chief of the Jews!" Whereupon the Jew turned to one of his lads and said to him, "Come, carry this fish to my house and bid Sa'adah dress it and fry and broil it, against I make an end of my business and hie me home." And Khalifah said, "Go, O my lad; let the master's wife fry some of it and broil the rest." Answered the boy, "I hear and I obey, O my lord" and, taking the fish, went away with it to the house. Then the Jew put out his hand and gave Khalifah the fisherman a dinar, saying, "Take this for yourself, O Khalifah, and spend it on your family." When Khalifah saw the dinar on his palm, he took it, saying, "Laud to the Lord of Dominion!" As if he had never seen anything of gold in his life,

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 153 and went somewhat away; but, before he had gone far, he was minded of the ape's charge and turning back threw down the ducat, saying, "Take your gold and give folk back their fish! Do you make a laughing stock of folk?" The Jew hearing this thought he was jesting and offered him two dinars upon the other, but Khalifah said, "Give me the fish and no nonsense. How knew you I would sell it at this price?" Whereupon the Jew gave him two more dinars and said, "Take these five ducats for your fish and leave greed." So Khalifah bent the five dinars in hand and went away, rejoicing, and gazing and marvelling at the gold and saying, "Glory be to God! There is not with the Caliph of Baghdad what is with me this day!" Then he did not stop faring on till he came to the end of the market street, when he remembered the words of the ape and his charge and returning to the Jew, threw him back the gold. He said, "What ails you, O Khalifah? Do you want silver in exchange for gold?" Khalifah replied, "I want nor dirhams nor dinars. I only want you to give me back folk's fish."

With this the Jew grew wroth and shouted out at him, saying, "O fisher man, you bring me a fish not worth a sequin and I give you five for it; yet are you not content! Are you Jinn mad? Tell me for how much you will sell it." Answered Khalifah, "I will not sell it for silver nor for gold, only for two sayings you will say me." When the Jew heard speak of the "Two Sayings," his eyes sank into his head, he breathed hard and ground his teeth for rage and said to him, "O nail paring of the Moslems, will you have me throw off my faith for the sake of your fish, and will you debauch me from my religion and stultify my belief and my conviction which I inherited of old from my forbears?" Then he cried out to the servants who were in waiting and said, "Out on you! Bash me this unlucky rogue's neck and bastinado him soundly!" So they came down upon him with blows and did not stop beating him till he fell beneath the shop, and the Jew said to them, "Leave him and let him rise." Whereupon Khalifah jumped up, as if nothing ailed him, and the Jew said to him, "Tell me what price you asks for this fish and I will give it you: for you have gotten but scant good of us this day."

Answered the Fisherman, "Have no fear for me, O master, because of the beating; for I can eat ten donkeys' rations of stick." The Jew laughed at his words and said, "in God's name, tell me what you will have and by the right of my Faith, I will give it you! "The Fisherman replied, "nothing from you will remunerate me for this fish save the two words whereof I spoke." And the Jew said, "It seems to me you would have me become a Moslem?" Khalifah rejoined, "By God, O Jew, If you islamise 'twill nor advantage the Moslems nor damage the Jews; and in like manner, If you hold to your misbelief 'twill nor damage the Moslems nor advantage the Jews. But what I desire of you is that you rise to your feet and say:—Bear witness against me, O people of the market, that I barter my ape for the ape of Khalifah the Fisherman and my lot in the world for his lot and my luck for his luck." the Jew said, "If this be all you desire 'twill sit lightly upon me."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty fifth night

So he rose without delay and standing on his feet, repeated the required words; after which he turned to the Fisherman and asked him, "Have you anything else to ask of me?" "No," answered he, and the Jew said, "Go in peace!" Hearing this Khalifah sprung to his feet directly; took up his basket and net and returned straight to the Tigris, where he threw his net and pulled it in. He found it heavy and brought it not ashore but with travail, when he found it full of fish of all kinds. Presently, up came a woman with a dish, who gave him a dinar, and he gave her fish for it; and after her

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 155 an eunuch, who also bought a dinar's worth of fish, and so forth till he had sold ten dinars' worth. And he continued to sell ten dinars' worth of fish daily for ten days, till he had gotten an hundred dinars. Now Khalifah the Fisherman had quarters in the Passage of the Merchants, and, as he lay one night in his lodging much bemused with Hashish, he said to himself, "O Khalifah, the folk all know you for a poor fisherman, and now you have gotten an hundred golden dinars. Needs must the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al­Rashid, hear of this from some one, and Perhaps he will be wanting money and will send for you and say to you: I need a sum of money and it has reached me that you have an hundred dinars: so do you lend them to me those same." I shall answer, "O Commander of the Faithful, I am a poor man, and whoever told you that I had an hundred dinars lied against me; for I have nothing of this." Thereupon he will commit me to the Chief of Police, saying:—Strip him of his clothes and torment him with the bastinado till he confess and give up the hundred dinars in his possession. Why, It seems to me to provide against this predicament, the best thing I can do, is to rise directly and bash myself with the whip, so to use myself to beating."

And his Hashish said to him, "Rise, doff your dress." So he stood up and putting off his clothes, took a whip he had by him and set handy a leathern pillow; then he fell to lashing himself, laying every other blow upon the pillow and roaring out the while, "Alas! Alas! By God, 'tis a false saying, O my lord, and they have lied against me; for I am a poor fisherman and have nothing of the goods of the world!" The noise of the whip falling on the pillow and on his person resounded in the still of night and the folk heard it, and amongst others the merchants, and they said, "Whatever can all the poor fellow, that he cries and we hear the noise of blows falling on him? 'Twould seem robbers have broken in upon him and are tormenting him." Presently, they all came forth of their lodgings, at the noise of the blows and the crying, and repaired to Khalifah's room, but they found the door locked and said one to other, "Perhaps the robbers have come in upon him from the back of the adjoining saloon. It behoves us to climb over by the roofs."

So they clomb over the roofs and coming down through the skylight, saw him naked and flogging himself and asked him, "What ails you, O Khalifah? "He answered, "Know, O folk, that I have gained some dinars and fear lest my case be carried up to the Prince of True Believers, Harun al­Rashid, and he send for me and demand of me those same gold pieces; whereupon I should deny, and I fear that, if I deny, he will torture me, so I am torturing myself, by way of accustoming me to what may come." The merchants laughed at him and said, "Leave this fooling, may Allah not bless you and the dinars you have gotten! Truly you have disturbed us this night and have troubled our hearts." So Khalifah left flogging himself and slept till the morning, when he rose and would have gone about his business, but bethought him of his hundred dinars and said in his mind, "If I leave them at home, thieves will steal them, and if I put them in a belt about my waist, perhaps some one will see me and lay in wait for me till he come upon me in some lonely place and slay me and take the money: but I have a device that should serve me well, right well." So he jumped up directly and made him a pocket in the collar of his gaberdine and tying the hundred dinars up in a purse, laid them in the collar pocket. Then he took his net and basket and staff and went down to the Tigris—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty sixth night

Then he hurled the net with all his force, of the excess of his wrath and the purse with the hundred dinars flew out of his collar pocket and, lighting in midstream, was carried away by the strong current; whereupon he threw down the net and doffing his clothes, left them on the bank and plunged into the water after the purse. He dived for it near a hundred times, till his strength was exhausted and he came up for sheer fatigue without chancing on it. When he despaired of finding the purse, he returned to the shore, where he saw nothing but staff, net and basket and sought for his clothes, but could light on no trace of them: so he said in himself, "O vilest of those wherefor was made the byword:—The pilgrimage is not perfected save by copulation with the camel! "Then he wrapped the net about him and taking staff in one hand and basket in other, went trotting about like a camel in rut, running right and left and backwards and forwards, dishevelled and dusty, as he were a rebel Marid let loose from Solomon's prison So far for what concerns the Fisherman Khalifah; but as regards the Caliph Harun al­Rashid, he had a friend, a jeweller called Ibn al­Kirnás, and all the traders, brokers and middlemen knew him for the Caliph's merchant; Why there was nothing sold in Baghdad, by way of rarities and things of price or Mamelukes or handmaidens, but was first shown to him. As he sat one day in his shop, behold, there came up to him the Shaykh of the brokers, with a slave girl, whose like seers never saw, for she was of passing beauty and loveliness, symmetry and perfect grace, and among her gifts was that she knew all arts and sciences and could make verses and play upon all manner musical instruments. So Ibn al­Kirnas bought her for five thousand golden dinars and clothed her with other thousand; after which he carried her to the Prince of True Believers, with whom she lay the night and who made trial of her in every kind of knowledge and accomplishment and found her versed in all sorts of arts and sciences, having no equal in her time. Her name was Kút al­Kulúb and she was even as says the poet:

I fix my glance on her, whene'er she wends; And non acceptance of my glance breeds pain: She favours graceful necked gazelle at gaze; And "Graceful as gazelle" to say we're glad.

And where is this beside the saying of another?

Give me brunettes; the Syrian spears, so limber and so straight, Tell of the slender dusky maids, so lithe and proud of gait. Languid of eyelids, with a down like silk upon her cheek, Within her wasting lover's heart she queens it still in state.

On the morrow the Caliph sent for Ibn al­Kirnas the Jeweller, and bade him receive ten thousand dinars to her price. And his heart was taken up with the slave girl Kut al­Kulub and he forsook the Lady Zubaydah bint al­Kasim, for all she was the daughter of his father's brother and he abandoned all his favourite concubines and abode a whole month without stirring from Kut al­Kulub's side save to go to the Friday prayers and return to her all in haste. This was grievous to the Lords of the Realm and they complained of it to the Wazir Ja'afar the Barmecide, who bore with the Commander of the Faithful and waited till the next Friday, when he entered the cathedral mosque and, foregathering with the Caliph, related to him all that occurred

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 159 to him of extraordinary stories anent seld seen love and lovers with intent to draw out what was in his mind. the Caliph said, "By God, O Ja'afar, this is not of my choice; but my heart is caught in the snare of love and know I not what is to be done!" The Wazir Ja'afar replied, "O Commander of the Faithful, you know how this girl Kut al­Kulub is become at your disposal and of the number of your servants, and that which hand possesses soul covets not. Moreover, I will tell you another thing which is that the highest boast of Kings and Princes is in hunting and the pursuit of sport and victory; and if you apply yourself to this, perchance it will divert you from her, and it may be you will forget her." Rejoined the Caliph, "You say well, O Ja'afar; come let us go a hunting directly, without delay." So soon as Friday prayers were prayed, they left the mosque and at once mounting their she mules rode forth to the chase.—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty seventh night

Then he looked around and espying a figure in the distance on a high mound, asked Ja'afar, "See you what I see?" Answered the Wazir, "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful; I see a dim figure on a high mound; Perhaps he is the keeper of a garden or of a cucumber plot, and in whatever wise water will not be lacking in his neighbourhood;" presently adding, "I will go to him and fetch you some." But Al­Rashid said, "My mule is swifter than your mule; so do you abide here, on account of the troops, whilst I go myself to him and get of this person drink and return," So saying, he urged his she mule, which started off like racing wind or railing water and, in the twinkling of an eye, made the mound, where he found the figure he had seen to be none other than Khalifah the Fisherman, naked and wrapped in the net; and indeed he was horrible to behold, as to and fro he rolled with eyes for very redness like cresset gleam and dusty hair in dishevelled trim, as he were an Ifrit or a lion grim. Al­Rashid saluted him and he returned his salutation; but he was wroth and fires might have been lit at his breath. the Caliph said, "O man, have you any water? "; and Khalifah said, "Ho you, are you blind, or Jinn mad? Get you to the river Tigris, for 'tis behind this mound."

So Al­Rashid went around the mound and going down to the river, drank and watered his mule: then without a moment's delay he returned to Khalifah and said to him, "What ails you, O man, to stand here, and what is your calling?" The Fisherman cried, "This is a stranger and sillier question than that about the water! See you not the gear of my craft on my shoulder?" Said the Caliph, "Perhaps you are a fisherman? "; and he replied, "Yes." Asked Al­Rashid, "Where is your gaberdine, and where are your waistcloth and girdle and where be the rest of your raiment? "Now these were the very things which had been taken from Khalifah, like for like; so, when he heard the Caliph name them, he got into his head that it was he who had stolen his clothes from the riverbank and coming down from the top of the mound, swiftlier than the blinding leven, laid hold of the mule's bridle, saying, "Harkye, man, bring me back my things and leave jesting and joking." Al­Rashid replied, "By God, I have not seen your clothes, nor know anything of them! "Now the Caliph had large cheeks and a small mouth; so Khalifah said to him, "Perhaps, you are by trade a singer or a piper on pipes? But bring me back my clothes fairly and without more ado, or I will bash you with this my staff till you bepiss yourself and befoul your clothes."

When Al­Rashid saw the staff in the Fisherman's hand and that he had the vantage of him, he said to himself, "By God, I cannot brook from this mad beggar half a blow of that staff! "Now he had on a satin gown; so he pulled it off and gave it to Khalifah, saying, "O man, take this in place of your clothes." The Fisherman took it and turned it about and said, "My clothes are worth ten of this painted 'Aba cloak;"

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 161 and rejoined the Caliph, "Put it on till I bring you your gear." So Khalifah donned the gown, but finding it too long for him, took a knife he had with him, tied to the handle of his basket, and cut off near a third of the skirt, so that it fell only beneath his knees. Then he turned to Al­Rashid and said to him, in God's name, O piper, tell me what wage you gettest every month from your master, for your craft of piping." Replied the Caliph," My wage is ten dinars a month," and Khalifah continued, "By God, my poor fellow, you make me sorry for you! Why, I make your ten dinars every day! Have you a mind to take service with me and I will teach you the art of fishing and share my gain with you? So will you make five dinars a day and be my slavey and I will protect you against your master with this staff." Said Al­Rashid, "I will well"; and Khalifah said, "Then get off your she ass and tie her up, so she may serve us to carry the fish hereafter, and come here, that I may teach you to fish directly."

So Al­Rashid alighted and hobbling his mule, tucked his skirts into his girdle, and Khalifah said to him, "O piper, lay hold of the net thus and put it over your forearm thus and cast it into the Tigris thus." Accordingly, the Caliph took heart of grace and, doing as the fisherman showed him, threw the net and pulled at it, but could not draw it up. So Khalifah came to his aid and tugged at it with him; but the two together could not hale it up: whereupon said the fisherman, "O piper of ill omen, for the first time I took your gown in place of my clothes; but this second time I will have yours ass and will beat you to boot, till you bepiss and beskite yourself.! If I find my net torn." Said Al­Rashid, "Let the twain of us pull at once." So they both pulled together and succeeded with difficulty in hauling that net ashore, when they found it full of fish of all kinds and colours;—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty eighth night

She pursued, when Khalifah the Fisherman and the Caliph hauled that net ashore, they found it full of fish of all kinds; and Khalifah said to Al­Rashid, "By God, O piper, you are foul of favour but, If you apply yourself to fishing, you will make a mighty fine fisherman. But now 'twere best you bestraddle yours ass and make for the market and fetch me a pair of frails, and I will look after the fish till you return, when I and you will load it on yours ass's back. I have scales and weights and all we want, so we can take them with us and you will have nothing to do but to hold the scales and pouch the price; for here we have fish worth twenty dinars. So be fast with the frails and loiter not." Answered the Caliph, "I hear and obey "and mounting, left him with his fish, and spurred his mule, in high good humour, and did not stop laughing over his adventure with the Fisherman, till he came up to Ja'afar, who said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, Perhaps, when you went down to drink, you found a pleasant flower garden and entered and took your pleasure within it alone?"

At this Al­Rashid fell a laughing again and all the Barmecides rose and kissed the ground before him, saying, "O Commander of the Faithful, Allah make joy to endure for you and do away annoy from you! What was the cause of your delaying when you faredst to drink and what has befallen you? "the Caliph said, "truly, a right wondrous tale and a joyous adventure and a wondrous has befallen me." And he repeated to them what had passed between himself and the Fisherman and his words, "You stolest my clothes! "And how he had given him his gown and how he had cut off a part of it, finding it too long for him. Ja'afar said, "By God, O Commander of the Faithful, I had it in mind to beg the gown of you: but now I will go straight to the Fisherman and buy it of him." The Caliph replied, "By God, he has cut off a third part of the skirt and spoilt it! But, O Ja'afar, I am tired with fishing in the river, for I have caught great store of fish which I left on the bank with my master Khalifah, and he is watching them and waiting for me to return to him with a couple of frails and a matchet. Then we are to go, I and he, to the market and sell the fish

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 163 and share the price." Ja'afar rejoined, "O Commander of the Faithful, I will bring you a purchaser for your fish." And Al­Rashid retorted, "O Ja'afar, by the virtue of my holy forefathers, whoever brings me one of the fish that are before Khalifah, who taught me angling, I will give him for it a gold dinar! "So the crier proclaimed among the troops that they should go forth and buy fish for the Caliph, and they all arose and made for the river side. Now, while Khalifah was expecting the Caliph's return with the two frails, behold, the Mamelukes swooped down upon him like vultures and took the fish and wrapped them in gold embroidered kerchiefs, beating one another in their eagerness to get at the Fisherman. Whereupon Khalifah said, "Doubtless these are of the fish of Paradise! "And hending two fish in right hand and left, plunged into the water up to his neck and fell a saying, "O Allah, by the virtue of these fish, let Your servant the piper, my partner, come to me at this very moment." And suddenly up to him came a black slave which was the chief of the Caliph's negro eunuchs. He had tarried behind the rest, by reason of his horse having stopped to make water by the way, and finding that nothing remained of the fish, little or much, looked right and left, till he espied Khalifah standing in the stream, with a fish in either hand, and said to him, "Come here, O Fisherman!"

But Khalifah replied, "Begone and none of your impudence!" So the eunuch went up to him and said, "Give me the fish and I will pay you their price." Replied the Fisherman, "Are you little of wit? I will not sell them." Therewith the eunuch drew his mace upon him, and Khalifah cried out, saying, " Strike not, O loon! Better largesse than the mace." So saying, he threw the two fishes to the eunuch, who took them and laid them in his kerchief. Then he put hand in pouch, but found not a single dirham and said to Khalifah, "O Fisherman, truly you are out of luck for, By God, I have not a silver about me! But come to morrow to the Palace of the Caliphate and ask for the eunuch Sandal; whereupon the castratos will direct you to me and by coming there you will get what falls to your lot and therewith go your ways." Khalifah said, "Indeed, this is a blessed day and its blessedness was manifest from the first of it! "Then he shouldered his net and returned to Baghdad; and as he passed through the streets, the folk saw the Caliph's gown on him and stared at him till he came to the gate of his quarter, by which was the shop of the Caliph's tailor.

When the man saw him wearing a dress of the apparel of the Caliph, worth a thousand dinars, he said to him, "O Khalifah, from where had you that gown? "Replied the Fisherman, "What ails you to be impudent? I had it of one whom I taught to fish and who is become my apprentice. I forgave him the cutting off of his hand for that he stole my clothes and gave me this cape in their place." So the tailor knew that the Caliph had come upon him as he was fishing and jested with him and given him the gown;—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Thirty ninth night

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 165

Kut al­Kulub replied, "Hearing and obedience are due to Allah and the Lady Zubaydah, and rose without delay, unknowing what was hidden for her in the Secret Purpose. Then she took with her what instruments she needed and, accompanying the eunuch, did not stop faring till she stood in the presence of the Princess. When she entered she kissed ground before her again and again, then rising to her feet said, "Peace be on the Lady of the exalted seat and the presence whereto none may avail, daughter of the house Abbásí and scion of the Prophet's family! May Allah fulfil you of peace and prosperity in the days and the years! "Then she stood with the rest of the women and eunuchs, and presently the Lady Zubaydah raised her eyes and considered her beauty and loveliness. She saw a damsel with cheeks smooth as rose and breasts like granado, a face moon bright, a brow flower white and great eyes black as night; her eyelids were langour dressed and her face beamed with light, as if the sun from her forehead arose and the murks of the night from the locks of her brow; and the fragrance of musk from her breath strayed and flowers bloomed in her lovely face inlaid; the moon beamed from her forehead and in her slender shape the branches swayed. She was like the full moon shining in the nightly shade; her eyes wantoned, her eyebrows were like a bow arched and her lips of coral moulded. Her beauty amazed all who espied her and her glances amazed all who eyed her. Glory be to Him who formed her and fashioned her and perfected her! Brief, she was even as says the poet of one who favoured her:

When she's incensed you see folk lie slain, And when she's pleased, their souls are quick again: Her eyne are armed with glances magical Wherewith she kills and quickens as she's glad. The Worlds she leads captive with her eyes As tho' the Worlds were all her slavish train.

the Lady Zubaydah said, "Well come, and welcome and fair cheer to you, O Kut al­Kulub! Sit and divert us with yours art and the goodliness of yours accomplishments." the damsel said, "I hear and I obey "; and, putting out her hand, took the tambourine, whereof one of its praisers speaks in the following verses:

Ho you o' the tabret, my heart takes flight And love smit cries while your fingers smite! You take nothing but a wounded heart, The while for acceptance longs the people: So say you word or heavy or light: Play whate'er you please it will charm the sprite. Soir bonne, unveil your cheek, ma belle Rise, deftly dance and all hearts delight.

Then she smote the tambourine briskly and so sang thereto, that she stopped the birds in the sky and the place danced with them blithely; after which she laid down the tambourine and took the pipe whereof it is said:

She has eyes whose babes wi' their fingers sign To sweet tunes without a discordant line.

And as the poet also said in this couplet:

And, when she announces the will to sing, For Union joy 'us a time divine!

Then she laid down the pipe, after she had charmed therewith all who were present, and took up the lute, whereof says the poet:

How many a blooming bough in glee girl's hand is glad As lute to 'witch great souls by charm of cunning strain! She sweeps tormenting lute strings by her artful touch Wi' fingertips that surely chain with endless chain.

Then she tightened its pegs and tuned its strings and laying it in her lap, bended over it as mother bends over child; and it seemed as it were of her and her lute that the poet spoke in these couplets:

Sweetly discourses she on Persian string And Unintelligence makes understand. And teaches she that Love's a murtherer, Who oft the reasoning Moslem has unmann'd.

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 167

A maid, By God, in whose palm a thing Of painted wood like mouth can speech command. With lute she staunches flow of Love; and so Stops flow of blood the cunning leach's hand.

Then she preluded in fourteen different modes and sang to the lute an entire piece, so as to confound the gazers and delight her hearers. After which she recited these two couplets,

The coming unto you is blest: within it new joys for aye attend: Its blisses are continuous Its blessings never, never end.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forties night

Then the damsel kissed ground before Zubaydah and sat down, whereupon they set food before her. Presently, they brought her the drugged dish of sweetmeats and she ate of it; and hardly had it settled in her stomach when her head fell backward and she sank on the ground sleeping. With this, the Lady said to her women, "Carry her up to one of the chambers, till I summon her"; and they replied, "We hear and we obey." Then she said to one of her eunuchs, "Fashion me a chest and bring it hitherto to me! ", and shortly afterwards she bade make the semblance of a tomb and spread the report that Kut al­Kulub had choked and died, threatening her familiars that she would smite the neck of whoever should say, "She is alive." Now, behold, the Caliph suddenly returned from the chase, and the first enquiry he made was for the damsel. So there came to him one of his eunuchs, whom the Lady Zubaydah had charged to declare she was dead, if the Caliph should ask for her and, kissing ground before him said, "May your head live, O my lord! Be certified that Kut al­Kulub choked in eating and is dead." Whereupon cried Al­Rashid, "God never gladden you with good news, O you bad slave! " And entered the Palace, where he heard of her death from every one and asked, "Where is her tomb? "So they brought him to the sepulchre and showed him the pretended tomb, saying, "This is her burial place." When he saw it, he cried out and wept and embraced it, quoting these two couplets:

By God, O tomb, have her beauties ceased and disappeared from sight And is the countenance changed and wan, that shone so wonder bright? O tomb, O tomb, you are neither heaven nor garden, truly: How comes it then that swaying branch and moon in you unite?

The Caliph, weeping sore for her, abode by the tomb a full hour, after which he arose and went away, in the utmost distress and the deepest melancholy. So the Lady Zubaydah saw that her plot had succeeded and directly sent for the eunuch and said, "here with the chest! "He set it before her when she bade bring the damsel and locking her up within it, said to the Eunuch, "Take all pains to sell this chest and make it a condition with the purchaser that he buy it locked; then give alms with its price." So he took it and went forth, to do her bidding. Thus fared it with these; but as for Khalifah the Fisherman, when morning morrowed and shone with its light and sheen, he said to himself, "I cannot do anything better today than visit the Eunuch who bought the fish of me, for he appointed me to come to him in the Palace of the Caliphate." So he went forth of his lodging, intending for the palace, and when he came there, he found Mamelukes, negro slaves and eunuchs standing and sitting; and looking at them, behold, seated amongst them was the Eunuch who had taken the fish of him, with the white slaves waiting on him. Presently, one of the Mameluke lads called out to him; whereupon the Eunuch turned to see who he was an to! It was the Fisherman. Now when Khalifah was ware that he saw him and recognised him, he said to him, "I have not failed you, O my little Tulip! In this way are men of their word."

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 169 Hearing his address Sandal the Eunuch laughed and replied, "By God, them art right, O Fisherman," and put his hand to his pouch, to give him somewhat; but at that moment there arose a great clamour. So he raised his head to see what was to do and finding that it was the Wazir Ja'afar the Barmecide coming forth from the Caliph's presence, he rose to him and forewent him, and they walked about, conversing for a longsome time. Khalifah the Fisherman waited awhile; then, growing weary of standing and finding that the Eunuch took no heed of him, he set himself in his way and beckoned to him from afar, saying, O my lord Tulip, give me my due and let me go!" The Eunuch heard him, but was ashamed to answer him because of the Minister's presence; so he went on talking with Ja'afar and took no notice whatever of the Fisherman. Whereupon Khalifah said, "O Slow o' Pay! May Allah put to shame all churls and all who take folks's goods and are niggardly with them! I put myself under your protection, O my lord Bran belly, to give me my due and let me go! "The Eunuch heard him, but was ashamed to answer him before Ja'afar; and the Minister saw the Fisherman beckoning and talking to him, though he knew not what he was saying; so he said to Sandal, misliking his behaviour, "O Eunuch, what would that beggar with you?"

Sandal replied, "Do you not know him, O my lord the Wazir?"; and Ja'afar answered, "By God, I know him not! How should I know a man I have never seen but at this moment? "Rejoined the Eunuch, "O my lord, this is the Fisherman whose fish we seized on the banks of the Tigris. I came too late to get any and was ashamed to return to the Prince of True Believers, empty handed, when all the Mamelukes had some. Presently, I espied the Fisherman standing in midstream, calling on Allah, with four fishes in his hands, and said to him:—Give me what you have there and take their worth. He handed me the fish and I put my hand into my pocket, purposing to gift him with somewhat, but found nothing within it and said:—Come to me in the Palace, and I will give you wherewithal to aid you in your poverty. So he came to me today and I was putting hand to pouch, that I might give him somewhat, when you came forth and I rose to wait on you and was diverted with you from him, till he grew tired of waiting; and this is the whole story, how he comes to be standing here."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty first night

the Wazir, hearing this account, smiled and said, "O Eunuch, how is it that this Fisherman comes in his hour of need and you satisfiest him not? Do you not know him, O Chief of the Eunuchs? ""No," answered Sandal and Ja'afar said, "This is the Master of the Commander of the Faithful, and his partner and our lord the Caliph has arisen this morning, strait of breast, heavy of heart and troubled in thought, nor is there anything will broaden his breast save this fisherman. So let him not go, till I crave the Caliph's pleasure concerning him and bring him before him; perchance Allah will relieve him of his oppression and console him for the loss of Kut al­Kulub, by means of the Fisherman's presence, and he will give him wherewithal to better himself; and you will be the cause of this." Replied Sandal, "O my lord, do as you will and may Allah Almighty long continue you a pillar of the dynasty of the Commander of the Faithful, whose shadow Allah perpetuate and prosper it, root and branch!" Then the Wazir Ja'afar rose up and went in to the Caliph and Sandal ordered the Mamelukes not to leave the Fisherman; whereupon Khalifah cried, "How goodly is your bounty, O Tulip! The seeker is become the sought. I come to seek my due, and they imprison me for debts in arrears!" When Ja'afar came in to the presence of the Caliph, he found him sitting with his head bowed earthwards,

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 171 breast straitened and mind melancholy, humming the verses of the poet:

My blamers instant bid that I for her become consoled; But I, what can't do, whose heart declines to be controlled? And how can I in patience bear the loss of lovely maid, When fails me patience for a love that holds with firmest hold! never I'll forget her nor the bowl that 'twixt us both went round And wine of glances maddened me with drunkenness ensoul'd.

Whenas Ja'afar stood in the presence, he said, "Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful, Defender of the honour of the Faith and descendant of the uncle of the Prince of the Apostles, Allah assain him and save him and his family one and all! "The Caliph raised his head and answered, "And on you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings!" Said Ja'afar; "With leave of the Prince of True Believers, his servant would speak without restraint." Asked the Caliph, "And when was restraint put upon you in speech and you the Prince of Wazirs? Say what you will." Answered Ja'afar, "When I went out, O my lord, from before you, intending for my house, I saw standing at the door your master and teacher and partner, Khalifah the Fisherman, who was aggrieved at you and complained of you saying:—Glory be to God! I taught him to fish and he went away to fetch me a pair of trails, but never came back: and this is not the way of a good partner or of a good apprentice. So, if you have a mind to partnership, well and good; and if not, tell him, that he may take to partner another."

Now when the Caliph heard these words he smiled and his straitness of breast was done away with and he said, "My life on you, is this the truth you say, that the Fisherman stands at the door?" and Ja'afar replied, "By your life, O Commander of the Faithful, he stands at the door." the Caliph said, "O Ja'afar, By God, I will assuredly do my best to give him his due! If Allah at my hands send him misery, he shall have it; and if prosperity he shall have it." Then he took a piece of paper and cutting it in pieces, said to the Wazir, "O Ja'afar, write down with yours own hand twenty sums of money, from one dinar to a thousand, and the names of all kinds of offices and dignities from the least appointment to the Caliphate; also twenty kinds of punishment from the lightest beating to death." "I hear and I obey,

O Commander of the Faithful," answered Ja'afar and did as he was bidden. Then said the Caliph, "O Ja'afar, I swear by my holy forefathers and by my kinship to Hamzah and Akíl, that I mean to summon the fisherman and bid him take one of these papers, whose contents none knows save you and I; and whatever is written in the paper which he shall choose, I will give it to him; though it be the Caliphate I will divest myself of it and invest him therewith and grudge it not to him; and, on the other hand, if there be written within it hanging or mutilation or death, I will execute it upon him. Now go and fetch him to me." When Ja'afar heard this, he said to himself, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! It may be somewhat will fall to this poor wretch's lot that will bring about his destruction, and I shall be the cause. But the Caliph has sworn; so nothing remains now but to bring him in, and nothing will happen save whatever Allah wills." Accordingly he went out to Khalifah the Fisherman and laid hold of his hand, to carry him in to the Caliph, whereupon his reason fled and he said in himself, "What a stupid I was to come after that ill omened slave, Tulip, by which he has brought me in company with Branbelly!"

Ja'afar fared on with him, with Mamelukes before and behind, whilst he said, "Does not arrest suffice, but these must go behind and before me, to hinder my making off?" till they had traversed seven vestibules, when the Wazir said to him, "Mark my words, O Fisherman! You stand before the Commander of the Faithful and Defender of the Faith! "Then he raised the great curtain and Khalifah's eyes fell on the Caliph, who was seated on his couch, with the Lords of the realm standing in attendance upon him. As soon as he knew him, he went up to him and said, "Well come, and welcome to you, O piper! 'Twas not right of you to make yourself a Fisherman and go away, leaving me sitting to guard the fish, and never to return! For, before I was aware, there came up Mamelukes on beasts of all kinds colours, and snatched away the fish from me, I standing alone, and this was all of your fault; for, had you returned with the trails directly, we had sold an hundred dinars' worth of fish. And now I come to seek my due, and they have arrested me.

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 173

But you, who has imprisoned you also in this place? "The Caliph smiled and raising a corner of the curtain, put forth his head and said to the Fisherman, "Come here and take you one of these papers." Khalifah the Fisherman said Yesterday you were a fisherman, and today you have become an astrologer; but the more trades a man has, the poorer he waxes." Thereupon Ja'afar said, "Take the paper at once, and do as the Commander of the Faithful bids you without prating." So he came forward and put forth his hand saying, "Far be it from me that this piper should ever again be my knave and fish with me! "Then taking the paper he handed it to the Caliph, saying, "O piper, what has come out for me within it? Hide nothing of it."—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty second night

So Al­Rashid received it and passed it on to Ja'afar and said to him, "Read what is within it." He looked at it and said, "There is no Majesty there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! "Said the Caliph, "Good news, O Ja'afar? What see you within it? "Answered the Wazir, "O Commander of the Faithful, there came up from the paper:—Let the Fisherman receive an hundred blows with a stick." So the Caliph commanded to beat the Fisherman and they gave him an hundred sticks: after which he rose, saying, "Allah damn this, O Branbelly! Are jail and sticks part of the game?" Then said Ja'afar, "O Commander of the Faithful, this poor devil is come to the river, and how shall he go away thirsting? We hope that among the alms deeds of the Commander of the Faithful, he may have leave to take another paper, so Perhaps somewhat may come out wherewithal he may succour his poverty." Said the Caliph, "By God, O Ja'afar, if he take another paper and death be written within it, I will assuredly kill him, and you will be the cause." Answered Ja'afar, "If he die he will be at rest."

But Khalifah the Fisherman said to him, "Allah never gladden you with good news! Have I made Baghdad strait upon you, that you seek to slay me?" Ja'afar said, "Take you a paper and crave the blessing of Allah Almighty! "So he put out his hand and taking a paper, gave it to Ja'afar, who read it and was silent. The Caliph asked, "Why are you silent, O son of Yahya? "; and he answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, there has come out on this paper:—nothing shall be given to the Fisherman." Then said the Caliph, "His daily bread will not come from us: bid him fare forth from before our face." Ja'afar said, "By the claims of your pious forefathers, let him take a third paper, it may be it will bring him alimony; "and the Caliph said, "Let him take one and no more." So he put out his hand and took a third paper, and behold, within it was written, "Let the Fisherman be given one dinar." Ja'afar cried to him, "I sought good fortune for you, but Allah willed not to you anything save this dinar." And Khalifah answered, "truly, a dinar for every hundred sticks were rare good luck, may Allah not send your body health!"

The Caliph laughed at him and Ja'afar took him by the hand and led him out. When he reached the door, Sandal the eunuch saw him and said to him, here, O Fisherman! Give us portion of that which the Commander of the Faithful has bestowed on you, whilst jesting with you." Replied Khalifah, "By God, O Tulip, you are right! Will you share with me, O nigger? Indeed, I have eaten stick to the tune of an hundred blows and have earned one dinar, and you are but too welcome to it." So saying, he threw him the dinar and went out, with the tears flowing down the plain of his cheeks. When the Eunuch saw him in this plight, he knew that he had spoken truth and called to the lads to fetch him back: so they brought him back and Sandal, putting his hand to his pouch, pulled out a red purse, from where he emptied an hundred golden dinars into the Fisherman's hand, saying, "Take this gold in payment of your fish and go your ways." So Khalifah, in high good humour, took the hundred ducats and the Caliph's one dinar and went his way, and forgot the beating. Now, as Allah willed it for the furthering of that which He had decreed, he passed by the mart of the hand maidens and seeing there a mighty ring where many folks were forgathering, said to himself, "What is this crowd? "So he brake through the merchants

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 175 and others, who said, "Make wide the way for Skipper Rapscallion, and let him pass." Then he looked and behold, he saw a chest, with an eunuch seated thereon and an old man standing by it, and the Shaykh was crying, "O merchants, O men of money, who will hasten and hazard his coin for this chest of unknown contents from the Palace of the Lady Zubaydah bint al­Kasim, wife of the Commander of the Faithful? How much shall I say for you, Allah bless you all!" One of the merchants said, "By God, this is a risk! But I will say one word and no blame to me. Be it mine for twenty dinars." another said, "Fifty," and they went on bidding, one against other, till the price reached an hundred ducats. Then said the crier, "Will any of you bid more, O merchants? "And Khalifah the Fisherman said, "Be it mine for an hundred dinars and one dinar." The merchants, hearing these words, thought he was jesting and laughed at him, saying, "O eunuch sell it to Khalifah for an hundred dinars and one dinar! "The eunuch said, "By God, I will sell it to none but him! Take it, O Fisherman, the Lord bless you in it, and here with your gold."

So Khalifah pulled out the ducats and gave them to the eunuch, who, the bargain being duly made, delivered to him the chest and bestowed the price in alms on the spot; after which he returned to the Palace and acquainted the Lady Zubaydah with what he had done, at which she rejoiced. Meanwhile the Fisherman hove the chest on shoulder, but could not carry it in this way for the excess of its weight; so he lifted it on to his head and thus bore it to the quarter where he lived. Here he set it down and being weary, sat awhile, bemusing what had befallen him and saying in himself, "Would Heaven I knew what is in this chest! "Then he opened the door of his lodging and haled the chest till he got it into his closet; after which he strove to open it, but failed. He said, "What folly possessed me to buy this chest? There is no help for it but to break it open and see what is in this." So he applied himself to the lock, but could not open it, and said to himself, "I will leave it till tomorrow." Then he would have stretched him out to sleep, but could find no room; for the chest filled the whole closet. So he got upon it and lay him down; but, when he had lain awhile, behold, he felt something stir under him at which sleep forsook him and his reason fled—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty third night

She pursued, when Khalifah the Fisherman lay down upon the chest and thus tarried awhile, behold, something stirred beneath him; at which he was affrighted and his reason fled. So he arose and cried, "Meseems there be Jinns in the chest. Praise to Allah who suffered me not to open it! For, had I done so, they had risen against me in the dark and slain me, and from them would have befallen me nothing of good." Then he lay down again when, to! The chest moved a second time, more than before; whereupon he sprang to his feet and said, "There it goes again: but this is terrible!" And he hastened to look for the lamp, but could not find it and had not the wherewithal to buy another. So he went forth and cried out, "Ho, people of the quarter! "Now the most part of the folk were asleep; but they awoke at his crying and asked, "What ails you, O Khalifah? "He answered," Bring me a lamp, for the Jinn are upon me." They laughed at him and gave him a lamp, wherewith he returned to his closet. Then he smote the lock of the chest with a stone and broke it and opening it, saw a damsel like a Houri lying asleep within.

Now she had been drugged with Bhang, but at that moment she threw up the stuff and awoke; then she opened her eyes and feeling herself confined and cramped, moved. At this sight Khalifah said, "By God, O my lady, from where are you?"; and She said, "Bring me Jessamine, and Narcissus. "And Khalifah answered, "There is nothing here but Henna flowers." Thereupon she came to herself and considering Khalifah, said to him, "What are you? "presently adding, "And where am I? "He said, "You are in my lodging." she asked, "Am I not in the Palace of the Caliph Harun al­Rashid? "And He said, "What manner of thing is Al­Rashid? O madwoman, You are nothing but my slave girl: I bought you this very day for an hundred dinars and one dinar, and brought

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 177 you home, and you were asleep in this here chest. "When she heard these words she said to him, "What is your name?" Said lie, "My name is Khalifah. How comes my star to have grown propitious, when I know my ascendant to have been otherwise? "She laughed and cried, "Spare me this talk! Have you anything to eat? "he replied, "No, By God, nor yet to drink! I have not eaten these two days and am now in want of a morsel." She asked, "Have you no money?"; and he said, "Allah keep this chest which has beggared me: I gave all I had for it and am become bankrupt." The damsel laughed at him and said, "Up with you and seek of your neighbours somewhat for me to eat, for I am hungry." So he went forth and cried out, "Ho, people of the quarter! "Now the folk were asleep; but they awoke and asked, "What ails you, O Khalifah? "Answered he, "O my neighbours, I am hungry and have nothing to eat." So one came down to him with a bannock and another with broken meats and a third with a bittock of cheese and a fourth with a cucumber; and so on till his lap was full and he returned to his closet and laid the whole between her hands, saying, "Eat."

But she laughed at him, saying, "How can I eat of this, when I have not a mug of water whereof to drink? I fear to choke with a mouthful and die." He said, "I will fill you this pitcher. "So he took the pitcher and going forth, stood in the midst of the street and cried out, saying, "Ho, people of the quarter!" They said, "What calamity is upon you tonight, O Khalifah!" And he said, "You gave me food and I ate; but now I am a thirst; so give me to drink." Thereupon one came down to him with a mug and another with an ewer and a third with a gugglet; and he filled his pitcher and, bearing it back, said to the damsel, "O my lady, you lackest nothing now." Answered she, "True, I want nothing more at this present." He said, "Speak to me and say me your story." And She said, "Fie upon you! If you know me not, I will tell you who I am. I am Kut al­Kulub, the Caliph's handmaiden, and the Lady Zubaydah was jealous of me; so she drugged me with Bhang and set me in this chest," presently adding "praise be to God—praised be God— for that the matter has come to easy issue and no worse! But this befell me not save for your good luck, for you will certainly get of the Caliph Al­Rashid money galore, that will be the means of yours enrichment."

Khalifah said, "Is not Al­Rashid he in whose Palace I was imprisoned? " "Yes," answered she; and he said, "By God, never saw I more niggardly people than he, that piper little of good and wit! He gave me an hundred blows with a stick yesterday and but one dinar, for all I taught him to fish and made him my partner; but he played me false." she replied, "Leave this unseemly talk, and open yours eyes and look you bear yourself respectfully, whenas you see him after this, and you will win your wish." When he heard her words, it was if he had been asleep and awoke; and Allah removed the veil from his judgment, because of his good luck, and he answered, "On my head and eyes!" Then he said to her, "Sleep, in the name of Allah." So she lay down and fell asleep (and he afar from her) till the morning, when she sought of him ink case and paper and, when they were brought wrote to Ibn al­Kirnas, the Caliph's friend, acquainting him with her case and how at the end of all that had befallen her she was with Khalifah the Fisherman, who had bought her.

Then she gave him the scroll, saying, "Take this and hie you to the jewel market and ask for the shop of Ibn al­Kirnas the Jeweller and give him this paper and speak not." "I hear and I obey," answered Khalifah and going with the scroll to the market, enquired for the shop of Ibn al­Kirnas. They directed him there and on entering it he saluted the merchant, who returned his salam with contempt and said to him, "What do you want? "Thereupon he gave him the letter and he took it, but read it not, thinking the Fisherman a beggar, who sought an alms of him, and said to one of his lads, "Give him half a dirham." Khalifah said, "I want no alms; read the paper."

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 179

So Ibn al­Kirnas took the letter and read it; and no sooner knew its import than he kissed it and laying it on his head—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty fourth night

Asked Khalifah, "What want you with my house? Will you go there and steal my slave girl?" Then Ibn al­Kirnas answered, "Not so: on the contrary, I will buy you somewhat whereof you may eat, you and she." So he said, "My house is in such a quarter; "and the merchant rejoined, "You have done well. May Allah not give you health, O unlucky one!" Then he called out to two of his slaves and said to them, "Carry this man to the shop of Mohsin the Shroff and say to him, "O Mohsin, give this man a thousand dinars of gold; then bring him back to me in haste." So they carried him to the money changer, who paid him the money, and returned with him to their master, whom they found mounted on a dapple she mule worth a thousand dinars, with Mamelukes and pages about him, and by his side another mule like his own, saddled and bridled. the jeweller to Khalifah said, "Bismillah, mount this mule." he replied, "I won't; for By God, I fear she throw me; "and Ibn said,al­Kirnas, "By God, needs must you mount." So he came up and mounting her, face to crupper, caught hold of her tail and cried out; whereupon she threw him on the ground and they laughed at him; but he rose and said, "Did I not tell you I would not mount this great jenny ass?" Thereupon Ibn al­Kirnas left him in the market and repairing to the Caliph, told him of the damsel; after which he returned and removed her to his own house. Meanwhile Khalifah went home to look after the handmaid and found the people of the quarter foregathering and saying,

"truly, Khalifah is today in a terrible pickle! Would we knew from where he can have gotten this damsel?" one of them said, "He is a mad pimp: Perhaps he found her lying on the road drunken, and carried her to his own house, and his absence shows that he knows his offence." As they were talking, behold, up came Khalifah, and they said to him, "What a plight is yours, O unhappy! Know you not what is come to you?" He replied, "No, By God! "And they said, "But just now there came Mamelukes and took away your slave girl whom you stolest, and sought for you, but found you not." Asked Khalifah, "And how came they to take my slave girl?"; and one said, "Had he fallen in their way, they had slain him." But he, so far from heeding them, returned running to the shop of Ibn al­Kirnas, whom he met riding, and said to him, "By God, 'twas not right of you to wheedle me and meanwhile send your Mamelukes to take my slave girl! "Replied the jeweller, "O idiot, come with me and hold your tongue." So he took him and carried him into a house handsomely builded, where he found the damsel seated on a couch of gold, with ten slave girls like moons round her. Sighting her Ibn al­Kirnas kissed ground before her and she said, "What have you done with my new master, who bought me with all he owned?"

He replied, "O my lady, I gave him a thousand golden dinars; "and related to her Khalifah's history from beginning to end, at which she laughed and said, "Blame him not; for he is but a common people. These other thousand dinars are a gift from me to him and Almighty Allah willing, he shall win of the Caliph what shall enrich him." As they were talking, there came an eunuch from the Commander of the Faithful, in quest of Kut al­Kulub for, when he knew that she was in the house of Ibn al­Kirnas, he could not endure the severance, but bade bring her immediately. So she repaired to the Palace, taking Khalifah with her, and going into the presence, kissed ground before the Caliph, who rose to her, saluting and welcoming her, and he asked how she had fared with him who had bought her. She replied, "He is a man, Khalifah the Fisherman called, and there he stands at the door. He tells me that he has an account to settle with the Commander of the Faithful, by reason of a partnership between him and the Caliph in fishing." Asked Al­Rashid, "Is he at the

Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad. 181 door? "and she answered, "Yes." So the Caliph sent for him and he kissed ground before him and wished him endurance of glory and prosperity. The Caliph marvelled at him and laughed at him and said to him, "O Fisherman, were you in very deed my partner yesterday?" Khalifah took his meaning and heartening his heart and summoning spirit replied, "By Him who bestowed upon you the succession to your cousin, I know her not in anywise and have had no commerce with her save by way of sight and speech!" Then he repeated to him all that had befallen him, since he last saw him, at which the Caliph laughed and his breast broadened and he said to Khalifah, "Ask of us what you will, O you who bring to owners their own! "But he was silent; so the Caliph ordered him fifty thousand dinars of gold and a costly dress of honour such as great Sovrans don, and a she mule, and gave him black slaves of the Sudán to serve him, so that he became as he were one of the Kings of that time. The Caliph was rejoiced at the recovery of his favourite and knew that all this was the doing of his cousin wife, the Lady Zubaydah,—

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty fifth night

And he returned her an answer, expressing satisfaction and pardon and forgiveness for what was past, at which she rejoiced greatly. As for Khalifah, the Fisherman, the Caliph assigned him a monthly solde of fifty dinars, and took him into especial favour, which would lead to rank and dignity, honour and worship. Then he kissed ground before the Commander of the Faithful and went forth with stately gait. When he came to the door, the Eunuch Sandal, who had given him the hundred dinars, saw him and knowing him, said to him, "O Fisherman, from where all this? "So he told him all that had befallen him, first and last, at which Sandal rejoiced, because he had been the cause of his enrichment, and said to him, "Will you not give me largesse of this wealth which is now become yours?" So Khalifah put hand to pouch and taking out a purse containing a thousand dinars, gave it to the Eunuch, who said, "Keep your coins and Allah bless you within it! "And marvelled at his manliness and at the liberality of his soul, for all his late poverty. Then leaving the eunuch, Khalifah mounted his she mule and rode, with the slaves' hands on her crupper, till he came to his lodging at the Khan, whilst the folk stared at him in surprise for that which had happened him of advancement. When he alighted from his beast they accosted him and enquired the cause of his change from poverty to prosperity, and he told them all that had happened to him from incept to conclusion. Then he bought a fine mansion and laid out thereon much money, till it was perfect in all points. And he took up his abode within it and was wont to recite thereon these two couplets:

Khalif the Fisherman of Baghdad. 183

Behold a house that's like the Dwelling of Delight; Its aspect heals the sick and banishes despite. Its sojourn for the great and wise appointed is, And Fortune fair within it abides day and night.

Then, as soon as he was settled in his house, he sought him in marriage the daughter of one of the chief men of the city, a handsome girl, and went in unto her and led a life of solace and satisfaction, joyaunce and enjoyment; and he rose to passing affluence and exceeding prosperity. So, when he found himself in this fortunate condition, he offered up thanks to Allah (extolled and excelled be He!) for what He had bestowed on him of wealth exceeding and of favours ever succeeding, praising his Lord with the praise of the grateful and chanting the words of the poet:

To You be praise, O You who showest unremitting grace; O You whose universal bounties high and low embrace! To You be praise from me! Then deign accept my praise for I Accept Your boons and gifts with grateful soul in every case. You have with favours overwhelmed me, benefits and largesse And gracious doles my memory never ceases to retrace. All men from mighty main, Your grace and goodness, drain and drink; And in their need You, only You, to them art refuge place! You heapest up, O Lord, Your mercy signs on mortal men; You pardonest man's every sin though he be high or base: So for the sake of him who came to teach mankind in ruth Prophet, pure, truthful worded scion of the noblest race; Ever be Allah's blessing and His peace on him and all His aids and kin while pilgrims fare his noble tomb to face! And on his helpmeets one and all, Companions great and good, Through time Eternal while the bird shall sing in shady wood!

And thereafter Khalifah continued to pay frequent visits to the Caliph Harun al­Rashid, with whom he found acceptance and who did not stop to overwhelm him with boons and bounty: and he abode in the enjoyment of the utmost honour and happiness and joy and gladness and in riches more than sufficing and in rank ever rising; brief, a sweet life and a savoury, pure as pleasurable, till there came to him the Destroyer of delights and the Sunderer of societies; and extolled be the perfection of Him to whom belong glory and permanence and He is the Living, the Eternal, who shall never die!

Note. I have followed the example of Mr. Payne and have translated in its entirety the Tale of Khalifah the Fisherman from the Breslau Edit. (Vol. iv. pp. 315.365, Night ccexxi-cecxxxii.) in preference to the unsatisfactory process of amalgamating it with that of the Mac. Edit. given above.