The Shaving of Shagpat | Page 7

him, to wander whither he listed; and disgust was strong in him by
reason of the disgrace and the severity of the administration of the
blows. He strayed along the streets in wretchedness, and hunger
increased on him, assailing him first as a wolf in his vitals, then as it
had been a chasm yawning betwixt his trunk and his lower members.
And he thought, 'I have been long in chase of great things, and the hope
of attaining them is great; yet, wullahy! would I barter all for one
refreshing meal, and the sense of fulness. 'Tis so, and sad is it!' And he
was mindful of the poet's words,--
Who seeks the shadow to the substance sinneth, And daily craving
what is not, he thinneth: His lean ambition how shall he attain? For
with this constant foolishness he doeth, He, waxing liker to what he
pursueth, Himself becometh what he chased in vain!
And again:
Of honour half my fellows boast,-- A thing that scorns and kills us:
Methinks that honours us the most Which nourishes and fills us.
So he thought he would of a surety fling far away his tackle, discard
barbercraft, and be as other men, a mortal, forgotten with his generation.
And he cried aloud, 'O thou old woman! thou deceiver! what halt thou
obtained for me by thy deceits? and why put I faith in thee to the
purchase of a thwacking? Woe's me! I would thou hadst been but a
dream, thou crone! thou guileful parcel of belabouring bones!'

Now, while he lounged and strolled, and was abusing the old woman,
he looked before him, and lo, one lolling in his shop-front, and people
standing outside the shop, marking him with admiration and reverence,
and pointing him out to each other with approving gestures. He who
lolled there was indeed a miracle of hairiness, black with hair as he had
been muzzled with it, and his head as it were a berry in a bush by
reason of it. Then thought Shibli Bagarag, ''Tis Shagpat! If the mole
could swear to him, surely can I.' So he regarded the clothier, and there
was naught seen on earth like the gravity of Shagpat as he lolled before
those people, that failed not to assemble in groups and gaze at him. He
was as a sleepy lion cased in his mane; as an owl drowsy in the
daylight. Now would he close an eye, or move two fingers, but of other
motion made he none, yet the people gazed at him with eagerness.
Shibli Bagarag was astonished at them, thinking, 'Hair! hair! There is
might in hair; but there is greater might in the barber! Nevertheless here
the barber is scorned, the grower of crops held in amazing reverence.'
Then thought he, ''Tis truly wondrous the crop he groweth; not even
King Shamshureen, after a thousand years, sported such mighty
profusion! Him I sheared: it was a high task!--why not this Shagpat?'
Now, long gazing on Shagpat awoke in Shibli Bagarag fierce desire to
shear him, and it was scarce in his power to restrain himself from flying
at the clothier, he saying, 'What obstacle now? what protecteth him?
Nay, why not trust to the old woman? Said she not I should first essay
on Shagpat? and 'twas my folly in appealing to the King that brought
on me that thwacking. 'Tis well! I'll trust to her words. Wullahy! will it
not lead me to great things?'
So it was, that as he thought this he continued to keep eye on Shagpat,
and the hunger that was in him passed, and became a ravenous vulture
that flew from him and singled forth Shagpat as prey; and there was no
help for it but in he must go and state his case to Shagpat, and essay
shearing him.
Now, when he was in the presence, he exclaimed, 'Peace, O vendor of
apparel, unto thee and unto thine!'
Shagpat answered, 'That with thee!'

Said Shibli Bagarag, 'I have heard of thee, O thou wonder! Wullahy! I
am here to render homage to that I behold.'
Shagpat answered, ''Tis well!'
Then said Shibli Bagarag, 'Praise my discretion! I have even this day
entered the city, and it is to thee I offer the first shave, O tangle of
glory!'
At these words Shagpat darkened, saying gruffly, 'Thy jest is offensive,
and it is unseasonable for staleness and lack of holiness.'
But Shibli Bagarag cried, 'No jest, O purveyor to the outward of us! but
a very excellent earnest.'
Thereat the face of Shagpat was as an exceeding red berry in a bush,
and he said angrily, 'Have done! no more of it! or haply my spleen will
be awakened, and that of them who see with more eyes than