greedy one. Tell me what thou wouldst have, O Moslem!" Quoth
Khalif, "I would have of thee but a single word. [FN#274]" When
the Jew heard this , he changed colour and said, "Wouldst thou
oust me from my faith? Wend thy ways;" and Khalif said to him,
"By Allah, O Jew, naught mattereth an thou become a Moslem or a
Nazarene!" Asked the Jew, "Then what wouldst thou have me say?";
and the fisherman answered, "Say, I sell thee my ape for thy ape
and my luck for thy luck." The Jew laughed, deeming him little of
wit, and said by way of jest, "I sell thee my ape for thy ape and
my luck for thy luck. Bear witness against him, O merchants! By
Allah, O unhappy, thou art debarred from further claim on me!" So
Khalif turned back, blaming himself and saying, "There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
Great! Alas that I did not take the gold!" and fared on blaming
himself in the matter of the money till he came to the Tigris,
but found not the two apes, whereupon he wept and slapped his
face and strewed dust on his head, saying, "But that the second
ape wheedled me and put a cheat on me, the one-eyed ape had not
escaped." And he gave not over wailing and weeping, till heat and
hunger grew sore on him: so he took the net, saying, "Come, let
us make a cast, trusting in Allah's blessing; belike I may catch
a cat-fish or a barbel which I may boil and eat." So he threw the
net and waiting till it had settled, drew it ashore and found it
full of fish, whereat he was consoled and rejoiced and busied
himself with unmeshing the fish and casting them on the earth.
Presently, up came a woman seeking fish and crying out, "Fish is
not to be found in the town." She caught sight of Khalif, and
said to him, "Wilt thou sell this fish, O Master?" Answered
Khalif, "I am going to turn it into clothes, 'tis all for sale,
even to my beard.[FN#275] Take what thou wilt." So she gave him a