Therefore with Allah one and all of thy concerns commit,
Whose grace and favor men of wit shall nevermore gainsay."
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 therein 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, marveling, and carried it to the ape of Abu al-Sa'adat the
Jew, as 'twere he had gotten possession of the universal world.
Quoth the ape, "O Khalifah, what wilt thou do with this, and with
thine ape?" and quoth the fisherman: "I will tell thee, O monarch of
monkeys, all I am about to do. Know then that first, I will cast about
to make away with yonder accursed, my ape, and take thee in his stead,
and give thee every day to eat of whatso thou wilt." Rejoined the ape:
"Since thou hast made choice of me, I will tell thee how thou shalt do
wherein, if it please Allah Almighty, shall be the mending of thy
fortune. Lend thy mind, then, to what I say to thee and 'tis this!
Take another cord and tie me also to a tree, where leave me and go
to the midst of the dike and cast thy net into the Tigris.
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