" So Al-Rashid
received it and passed it on to Ja'afar and said to him, "Read what is
therein." He looked at it and said, "There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" Said the
Caliph: "Good news, O Ja'afar? What seest thou therein?" Answered
the Wazir: "O Commander of the Faithful there came up from the
paper, 'Let the Fisherman receive a hundred blows with a stick.'" So
the Caliph commanded to beat the Fisherman and they gave him a hundred
sticks, after which he rose, saying: "Allah damn this, O Branbelly!
Are jail and sticks part of the game?"
Then said Ja'afar: " O Commander of the Faithful, this poor devil is
come to the river, and how shall he go away thirsting? We hope that
among the alms deeds of the Commander of the Faithful he may have
leave to take another paper, so haply somewhat may come out
wherewithal he may succor his poverty." Said the Caliph: "By Allah,
O Ja'afar, if he take another paper and death be written therein, I
will assuredly kill him, and thou wilt be the cause." Answered
Ja'afar, "If he die he will be at rest." But Khalifah the fisherman
said to him: "Allah ne'er, gladden thee with good news! Have I made
Baghdad strait upon you, that ye seek to slay me?" Quoth Ja'afar,
"Take thee a paper, and crave the blessing of Allah Almighty!"
So he put out his hand, and taking a paper, gave it to Ja'afar,
who read it and was silent.
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