Supplemental Nights to The Book of the Thousand and One Nights | Page 6

never more salute him
with the Salam nor ever more drew near unto him neither invited him again. Thus he
continued to do for the space of a full year, till, one day, while he sat on the bridge, as
was his wont, expecting who should come to him so he might take him and pass the night
with him, behold, up came the Caliph and Masrur, the Sworder of his vengeance[FN#7]
disguised in merchants dress, according to their custom. So Abu al-Hasan looked at them
and rising, because he knew them not, asked them, "What say ye? Will ye go with me to
my dwelling-place, so ye may eat what is ready and drink what is at hand, to wit, platter-

bread[FN#8] and meat cooked and wine strained?" The Caliph refused this, but he
conjured him and said to him, "Allah upon thee, O my lord, go with me, for thou art my
guest this night, and baulk not my hopes of thee!" And he ceased not to press him till he
consented; whereat Abu al-Hasan rejoiced and walking on before him, gave not over
talking with him till they came to his house and he carried the Caliph into the saloon.
Al-Rashid entered a hall such as an thou sawest it and gazedst upon its walls, thou hadst
beheld marvels; and hadst thou looked narrowly at its water-conduits thou would have
seen a fountain cased with gold. The Caliph made his man abide at the door; and, as soon
as he was seated, the host brought him that eating might be grateful to him. Then he
removed the tray and they washed their hands and the Commander of the Faithful sat
down again; whereupon Abu al- Hasan set on the drinking vessels and seating himself by
his side, fell to filling and giving him to drink[FN#9] and entertaining him with discourse.
And when they had drunk their sufficiency the host called for a slave-girl like a branch of
Ban who took a lute and sang to it these two couplets:--
"O thou aye dwelling in my heart, * Whileas thy form is far from sight, Thou art my
sprite my me unseen, * Yet nearest near art thou, my sprite."
His hospitality pleased the Caliph and the goodliness of his manners, and he said to him,
O youth, who art thou? Make me acquainted with thyself, so I may requite thee thy
kindness." But Abu al-Hasan smiled and said, "O my lord, far be it, alas! that what is past
should again come to pass and that I company with thee at other time than this time!" The
Prince of True Believers asked, "Why so? and why wilt thou not acquaint me with thy
case?" and Abu al-Hasan answered, "Know, O my lord, that my story is strange and that
there is a cause for this affair." Quoth Al-Rashid, "And what is the cause?" and quoth he,
"The cause hath a tail." The Caliph[FN#10] laughed at his words and Abu al-Hasan said,
"I will explain to thee this saying by the tale of the Larrikin and the Cook. So hear thou,
O my lord."
Story of the Larrikin[FN#11] and the Cook
One of the ne'er-do-wells found himself one fine morning without aught and the world
was straightened upon him and patience failed him; so he lay down to sleep and ceased
not slumbering till the sun stang him and the foam came out upon his mouth, whereupon
he arose, and he was penniless and had not even so much as a single dirham. Presently he
arrived at the shop of a Cook, who had set his pots and pans over the fire and washed his
saucers and wiped his scales and swept his shop and sprinkled it; and indeed his fats and
oils were clear and clarified and his spices fragrant and he himself stood behind his
cooking pots ready to serve customers. So the Larrikin, whose wits had been sharpened
by hunger, went in to him and saluting him, said to him, "Weigh me half a dirham's worth
of meat and a quarter of a dirham's worth of boiled grain[FN#12] and the like of bread."
So the Kitchener weighed it out to him and the good-for-naught entered the shop,
whereupon the man set the food before him and he ate till he had gobbled up the whole
and licked the saucers and sat perplexed, knowing not how he should do with the Cook
concerning the price of that he had eaten, and turning his eyes about upon everything in
the shop; and as he looked, behold, he caught sight of an earthen pan lying arsy-versy
upon its mouth; so he raised it from the ground and found under it a horse's tail, freshly

cut off and the blood oozing