So she repaired to the Palace, taking
Khalifah with her, and going into the presence, kissed ground before
the Caliph, who rose to her, saluting and welcoming her, and asked her
how she had fared with him who had brought her. She replied: "He is
a man, Khalifah the fisherman hight, and there he standeth at the
door. He telleth me that he hath an account to settle with the
Commander of the Faithful, by reason of a partnership between him
and the Caliph in fishing." Asked Al-Rashid, "Is he at the door?"
and she answered, "Yes." So the Caliph sent for him and he kissed
ground before him and wished him endurance of glory and prosperity.
The Caliph marveled at him and laughed at him, and said to him, "O
Fisherman, wast thou in very deed my partner yesterday?" Khalifah took
his meaning, and heartening his heart and summoning spirit, replied:
"By Him who bestowed upon thee the succession to thy cousin, I know
her not in anywise and have had no commerce with her save by way of
sight and speech!"
Then he repeated to him all that had befallen him since he last
saw him, whereat the Caliph laughed and his breast broadened and he
said to Khalifah, "Ask of us what thou wilt, O thou who bringest to
owners their own!" But he was silent, so the Caliph ordered him
fifty thousand dinars of gold and a costly dress of honor such as
great sovereigns don, and a she-mule, and gave him black slaves of the
Sudan to serve him, so that he became as he were one of the kings of
that time.
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