It is said that Al-Maamún came one day upon Zubaydah, mother of Al-Amin, and saw her moving her lips and muttering something he understood not; so he said to her, "O mother mine, are you cursing me because I slew your son and spoiled him of his realm?" She said, "Not so, by God, O Commander of the Faithful!" And he said, "What then was it you said?" She said, "Let the Prince of True Believers excuse me." But he was urgent with her, saying, "There is no help but that you tell it." And she replied, "I said, Allah confound importunity!" He asked, "How so?" and she answered, "I played one day at chess with the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, and he imposed on me the condition of forfeits. He won and made me doff my dress and walk round about the palace, stark naked; so I did this, and I felt incensed against him. Then we fell again to playing and I won; at which I made him go to the kitchen and lie with the foulest and filthiest wench of the wenches there; but I found not a slave girl fouler and filthier than your mother; so I bade him tumble her. He did my bidding

Al-Nu'uman And The Arab Of The Banu Tay. 123 and she conceived by him of you, and thus was I the cause of the slaying of my son and the spoiling him of his realm." When Al-Maamún heard this, he turned away, saying, "Allah curse the importunate!" That is, himself, who had importuned her till she acquainted him with that affair.