And he repeated to them what had passed between himself and the
fisherman and his words, "Thou stolest my clothes!" and how he had
given him his gown and how he had cut off a part of it, finding it too
long for him. Said Ja'afar, "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful,
I had it in mind to beg the gown of thee, but now I will go straight
to the fisherman and buy it of him." The Caliph replied, "By Allah, he
hath cut off a third part of the skirt and spoilt it! But, O
Ja'afar, I am tired with fishing in the river, for I have caught great
store of fish, which I left on the bank with my master Khalifah, and
he is watching them and waiting for me to return to him with a
couple of frails and a matchet. Then we are to go, I and he, to the
market and sell the fish and share the price." Ja'afar rejoined, "O
Commander of the Faithful, I will bring you a purchaser for your
fish." And Al-Rashid retorted: "O Ja'afar, by the virtue of my holy
forefathers, whoso bringeth me one of the fish that are before
Khalifah, who taught me angling, I will give him for it a gold dinar!"
So the crier proclaimed among the troops that they should go forth and
buy fish for the Caliph, and they all arose and made for the
riverside.
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