little of good and wit! He gave me an hundred blows with a stick
yesterday and but one dinar, for all I taught him to fish and
made him my partner; but he played me false." Replied she,
"Leave this unseemly talk, and open thine eyes and look thou bear
thyself respectfully, whenas thou seest him after this, and thou
shalt win thy wish." When he heard her words, it was if he had
been asleep and awoke; and Allah removed the veil from his
judgment, because of his good luck, [FN#250] and he answered, "On
my head and eyes!" Then said he to her, "Sleep, in the name of
Allah." [FN#251] so she lay down and fell asleep (and he afar
from her) till the morning, when she sought of him inkcase
[FN#252] and paper and, when they were brought wrote to Ibn al-
Kirnas, the Caliph's friend, acquainting him with her case and
how at the end of all that had befallen her she was with Khalifah
the Fisherman, who had bought her. Then she gave him the scroll,
saying, "Take this and hie thee to the jewel-market and ask for
the shop of Ibn al-Kirnas the Jeweller and give him this paper
and speak not." "I hear and I obey," answered Khalifah and going
with the scroll to the market, enquired for the shop of Ibn al-
Kirnas. They directed him to thither and on entering it he
saluted the merchant, who returned his salim with contempt and
said to him, "What dost thou want?" Thereupon he gave him the
letter and he took it, but read it not, thinking the Fisherman a
beggar, who sought an alms of him, and said to one of his lads,
"Give him half a dirham." Quoth Khalifah, "I want to alms; read
the paper." So Ibn al-Kirnas took the letter and read it; and no
sooner knew its import than he kissed it and laying it on his
head--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.