"
Answered the larrikin, "I gave thee a dirham," and he reviled the
kitchener, who returned his abuse, whereupon he dealt him a buffet and
they gripped and grappled and throttled each other. When the folk
saw them fighting, they came up to them and asked them, "What is
this strife between you, and no cause for it?" and the lackpenny
answered, "Ay, by Allah, but there is a cause for it, and the cause
hath a tail!" Whereupon cried the cook: "Yea, by Allah, now thou
mindest me of thyself and thy dirham! Yes, he gave me a dirham, and
but a quarter of the coin is spent. Come back and take the rest of the
price of thy dirham." For he understood what was to do, at the mention
of the tail.
"And I, O my brother," added Abu al-Hasan, "my story hath a cause,
which I will tell thee." The Caliph laughed at his speech and said:
"By Allah, this is none other than a pleasant tale! Tell me thy
story and the cause."
Replied the host: "With love and goodly gree! Know, O my lord,
that my name is Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a and that my father died and
left me abundant wealth, of which I made two parts. One I laid up, and
with the other I betook myself to enjoying the pleasures of friendship
and conviviality and consorting with intimates and boon companions and
the sons of the merchants, nor did I leave one but I caroused with him
and he with me.
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