the blessing of Allah Almighty!" So he put out his hand and
taking a paper, gave it to Ja'afar, who read it and was silent.
The Caliph asked, "Why art thou silent, O son of Yahya?"; and he
answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, there hath come out on
this paper, 'Naught shall be given to the Fisherman.'" Then said
the Caliph, "His daily bread will not come from us: bid him fare
forth from before our face." Quoth Ja'afar, "By the claims of
thy pious forefathers, let him take a third paper, it may be it
will bring him alimony;" and quoth the Caliph, "Let him take one
and no more." So he put out his hand and took a third paper, and
behold, therein was written, "Let the Fisherman be given one
dinar." Ja'afar cried to him, "I sought good fortune for thee,
but Allah willed not to thee aught save this dinar." And
Khalifah answered, "Verily, a dinar for every hundred sticks were
rare good luck, may Allah not send thy body health!" The Caliph
laughed at him and Ja'afar took him by the hand and led him out.
When he reached the door, Sandal the eunuch saw him and said to
him, "Hither, O Fisherman! Give us portion of that which the
Commander of the Faithful hath bestowed on thee, whilst jesting
with thee." Replied Khalifah, "By Allah, O Tulip, thou art
right! Wilt share with me, O nigger? Indeed I have eaten stick
to the tune of an hundred blows and have earned one dinar, and
thou art but too welcome to it." So saying, he threw him the
dinar and went out, with the tears flowing down the plain of his
cheeks. When the eunuch saw him in this plight, he knew that he
had spoken sooth and called to the lads to fetch him back: so
they brought him back and Sandal, putting his hand to his pouch,
pulled out a red purse, whence he emptied an hundred golden
dinars into the Fisherman's hand, saying, "Take this gold in
payment of thy fish and wend thy ways." So Khalifah, in high