"
His hospitality pleased the Caliph, and the goodliness of his
manners, and he said to him: "O youth, who art thou? Make me
acquainted with thyself, so I may requite thee thy kindness." But
Abu al-Hasan smiled and said: 'O my lord, far be it, alas! that what
is past should again come to pass and that I company with thee at
other time than this time!" The Prince of True Believers asked: "Why
so? And why wilt thou not acquaint me with thy case?" and Abu al-Hasan
answered, "Know, O my lord, that my story is strange and that there is
a cause for this affair." Quoth Al-Rashid, "And what is the cause?"
and quoth he, "The cause hath a tail." The Caliph laughed at his words
and Abu al-Hasan said, "I will explain to thee this saying by the tale
of the larrikin and the cook. So hear thou, O my lord, the
STORY
STORY OF THE LARRIKIN AND THE COOK"
ONE of the ne'er do-wells found himself one fine morning without
aught, and the world was straitened upon him and patience failed
him. So he lay down to sleep, and ceased not slumbering till the sun
stang him and the foam came out upon his mouth, whereupon he arose,
and he was penniless and had not even so much as a single dirham.
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