standing and finding that the Eunuch took no heed of him, he set
himself in his way and beckoned to him from afar, saying, "O my
lord Tulip, give me my due and let me go!" The Eunuch heard him,
but was ashamed to answer him because of the minister's presence;
so he went on talking with Ja'afar and took no notice whatever of
the Fisherman. Whereupon quoth Khalifah, "O Slow o' Pay!
[FN#236] May Allah put to shame all churls and all who take
folks's goods and are niggardly with them! I put myself under
thy protection, O my lord Bran-belly, [FN#237] to give me my due
and let me go!" The Eunuch heard him, but was ashamed to answer
him before Ja'afar; and the Minister saw the Fisherman beckoning
and talking to him, though he knew not what he was saying; so he
said to Sandal, misliking his behaviour, "O Eunuch, what would
yonder beggar with thee?" Sandal replied, "Dost thou not know
him, O my lord the Wazir?"; and Ja'afar answered, "By Allah, I
know him not! How should I know a man I have never seen but at
this moment?" Rejoined the Eunuch, "O my lord, this is the
Fisherman whose fish we seized on the banks of the Tigris. I
came too late to get any and was ashamed to return to the Prince
of True Believers, empty-handed, when all the Mamelukes had some.
Presently I espied the Fisherman standing in mid-stream, calling
on Allah, with four fishes in his hands, and said to him, 'Give
me what thou hast there and take their worth.' He handed me the
fish and I put my hand into my pocket, purposing to gift him with
somewhat, but found naught therein and said, 'Come to me in the
Palace, and I will give thee wherewithal to aid thee in thy
poverty. So he came to me to-day and I was putting hand to
pouch, that I might give him somewhat, when thou camest forth and
I rose to wait on thee and was diverted with thee from him, till
he grew tired of waiting and this is the whole story, how he