But now 'twere best thou bestraddle thine ass and make
for the market and fetch me a pair of frails, and I will look after
the fish till thou return, when I and thou will load it on thine ass's
back. I have scales and weights and all we want, so we can take them
with us, and thou wilt have nothing to do but to hold the scales and
punch the price. For here we have fish worth twenty dinars. So be fast
with the frails and loiter not."
Answered the Caliph, "I hear and obey" and mounting, left him with
his fish, and spurred his mule, in high good humor, and ceased not
laughing over his adventure with the fisherman till he came up to
Ja'afar, who said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, belike when
thou wentest down to drink, thou foundest a pleasant flower garden and
enteredst and tookest thy pleasure therein alone?" At this Al-Rashid
fell a laughing again and all the Barmecides rose and kissed the
ground before him, saying: "O Commander of the Faithful, Allah make
joy to endure for thee and do away annoy from thee! What was the cause
of thy delaying when thou faredst to drink, and what hath befallen
thee?" Quoth the Caliph, "Verily, a right wondrous tale and a joyous
adventure and a wondrous hath befallen me.
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