in himself, "What a stupid I was to come after yonder ill-omened
slave, Tulip, whereby he hath brought me in company with Bran-
belly!" Ja'afar fared on with him, with Mamelukes before and
behind, whilst he said, "Doth not arrest suffice, but these must
go behind and before me, to hinder my making off?" till they had
traversed seven vestibules, when the Wazir said to him, "Mark my
words, O Fisherman! Thou standest before the Commander of the
Faithful and Defender of the Faith!" Then he raised the great
curtain and Khalifah's eyes fell on the Caliph, who was seated on
his couch, with the Lords of the realm standing in attendance
upon him. As soon as he knew him, he went up to him and said,
"Well come, and welcome to thee, O piper! 'Twas not right of thee
to make thyself a Fisherman and go away, leaving me sitting to
guard the fish, and never to return! For, before I was aware,
there came up Mamelukes on beasts of all manner colours, and
snatched away the fish from me, I standing alone, and this was
all of thy fault; for, hadst thou returned with the frails
forthright, we had sold an hundred dinars' worth of fish. And
now I come to seek my due, and they have arrested me but thou,
who hath imprisoned thee also in this place?" The Caliph smiled
and raising a corner of the curtain, put forth his head and said
to the Fisherman, "Come hither and take thee one of these
papers." Quoth Khalifah the Fisherman, "Yesterday thou wast a
fisherman, and to-day thou hast become an astrologer; but the
more trades a man hath, the poorer he waxeth." Thereupon,
Ja'afar, said, "Take the paper at once, and do as the Commander
of the Faithful biddeth thee without prating." So he came
forward and put forth his hand saying, "Far be it from me that
this piper should ever again be my knave and fish with me!" Then
taking the paper he handed it to the Caliph, saying, "O piper,