a saloon completely equipped with furniture and vessels and
negro-slaves and slave-girls and what not else is needful for our
residence and seemly, and take the bearer of the missive and
carry him to the bath. Then clothe him in costly apparel and do
with him thus and thus." So he said "Hearing and obeying," and
locking up his shop, took the Fisherman and bore him to the bath,
where he committed him to one of the bathmen, that he might serve
him, according to custom. Then he went forth to carry out the
Lady Kut al-Kulub's orders. As for Khalif, he concluded, of his
lack of wit and stupidity, that the bath was a prison and said to
the bathman, "What crime have I committed that ye should lay me
in limbo?" They laughed at him and made him sit on the side of
the tank, whilst the bathman took hold of his legs, that he might
shampoo them. Khalif thought he meant to wrestle with him and
said to himself, "This is a wrestling-place[FN#292] and I knew
naught of it." Then he arose and seizing the bathman's legs,
lifted him up and threw him on the ground and broke his ribs. The
man cried out for help, whereupon the other bathmen came in a
crowd and fell upon Khalif and overcoming him by dint of numbers,
delivered their comrade from his clutches and tunded him till he
came to himself. Then they knew that the Fisherman was a
simpleton and served him till Abu al-Hasan came back with a dress
of rich stuff and clad him therein; after which he brought him a
handsome she-mule, ready saddled, and taking him by the hand,
carried him forth of the bath and said to him, "Mount." Quoth he,
"How shall I mount? I fear lest she throw me and break my ribs
into my belly." Nor would he back the mule, save after much
travail and trouble, and they stinted not faring on, till they
came to the place which Abu al-Hasan had set apart for the Lady
Kut al-Kulub. Thereupon Khalif entered and found her sitting,