outwent them. Presently the heat became overhot and Al-Rashid
said to his Wazir, "O Ja'afar, I am sore athirst." Then he
looked around and espying a figure in the distance on a high
mound, asked Ja'afar, "Seest thou what I see?" Answered the
Wazir, "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful; I see a dim figure on a
high mound; belike he is the keeper of a garden or of a cucumber-
plot, and in whatso wise water will not be lacking in his
neighborhood;" presently adding, "I will go to him and fetch thee
some." But Al-Rashid said, "My mule is swifter than thy mule; so
do thou abide here, on account of the troops, whilst I go myself
to him and get of this person [FN#219] drink and return." So
saying, he urged his she-mule, which started off like racing wind
or railing-water and, in the twinkling of an eye, made the mound,
where he found the figure he had seen to be none other than
Khalifah the Fisherman, naked and wrapped in the net; and indeed
he was horrible to behold, as to and fro he rolled with eyes for
very redness like cresset-gleam and dusty hair in dishevelled
trim, as he were an Ifrit or a lion grim. Al-Rashid saluted him
and he returned his salutation; but he was wroth and fires might
have been lit at his breath. Quoth the Caliph, "O man, hast thou
any water?"; and quoth Khalifah, "Ho thou, art thou blind, or
Jinn-mad? Get thee to the river Tigris, for 'tis behind this
mound." So Al-Rashid went around the mound and going down to the
river, drank and watered his mule: then without a moment's delay
he returned to Khalifah and said to him, "What aileth thee, O
man, to stand here, and what is thy calling?" The Fisherman
cried, "This is a stranger and sillier question than that about
the water! Seest thou not the gear of my craft on my shoulder?"
Said the Caliph, "Belike thou art a fisherman?"; and he replied,
"Yes." Asked Al-Rashid, "Where is thy gaberdine, [FN#220] and