I only want
thee to give me back folk's fish." With this the Jew waxed wroth and
shouted out at him, saying: "O Fisherman, thou bringest me a fish
not worth a sequin and I give thee five for it, yet art thou not
content! Art thou Jinn-mad? Tell me for how much thou wilt sell it."
Answered Khalifah, "I will not sell it for silver nor for gold, only
for two sayings thou shalt say me."
When the Jew heard speak of the "two sayings," his eyes sank into
his head, he breathed hard and ground his teeth for rage, and said
to him, "O nail paring of the Moslems, wilt thou have me throw off
my faith for the sake of thy fish, and wilt thou debauch me from my
religion and stultify my belief and my conviction which I inherited of
old from my forebears?" Then he cried out to the servants who were
in waiting and said: "Out on you! Bash me this unlucky rogue's neck
and bastinado him soundly!" So they came down upon him with blows
and ceased not beating him till he fell beneath the shop, and the
Jew said to them, "Leave him and let him rise." Whereupon Khalifah
jumped up as if naught ailed him, and the Jew said to him: "Tell me
what price thou asketh for this fish and I will give it thee; for thou
hast gotten but scant good of us this day.
Pages:
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550