"
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 ceased not 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 waistcloth about his
middle. Quoth Khalifah, "Praised be Allah Who hath 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 thou gavest me! None but thou made me light on this second
ape; and for that thou gavest me good morrow with thy one eye and
thy lameness, I am become distressed and weary, without dirham or
dinar."
So saying, he hent 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 thee, by
Allah, spare me for the sake of this my fellow, and seek of him thy
need; for he will guide thee to thy 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
thee naught except thou hearken to what I say to thee; but an thou
do my bidding and cross me not, I will be the cause of thine
enrichment.
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