" Quoth his mother to him: "O my son,
thou sportest with thy reason. Thou wilt go to the madhouse and become
a gazingstock. Indeed, that which thou hast seen is only from the Foul
Fiend, and it was an imbroglio of dreams, for at times Satan
sporteth with men's wits in all manner of ways."
Then said she to him, "O my son, was there anyone with thee
yesternight?" And he reflected and said: "Yes, one lay the night
with me and I acquainted him with my case and told him my tale.
Doubtless, he was of the devils, and I, O my mother, even as thou
sayst truly, am Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a." She rejoined: "O my son,
rejoice in tidings of all good, for yesterday's record is that there
came the Wazir Ja'afar the Barmecide and his many, and beat the
Sheikhs of the mosque and the imam, each a thousand lashes, after
which they paraded them round about the city, making proclamation
before them and saying, 'This is the reward and the least of the
reward of whoso faileth in goodwill to his neighbors and troubleth
on them their lives!' And he banished them from Baghdad. Moreover, the
Caliph sent me a hundred dinars and sent to salute me.
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