Then the hawk whispered in his ear, 'Drop on the tackle secretly a drop
from the phial.' This he did, spreading his garments, and commanded the
tackle to speak. And the tackle spake, each portion of it, confusedly as
the noise of Babel. So the King marvelled greatly, and said, ''Tis a
greater wonder than the talking hawk, the talking tackle. Wullahy! it
ennobleth barbercraft! Yet it were well to comprehend the saying of the
tackle.'

Then the hawk flew to the tackle and fluttered about it, and lo! the
blade and the brush stood up and said in a shrill tone, 'It is ordained
that Shagpat shall be shaved, and that Shibli Bagarag shall shave him.'

The King bit the forefinger of amazement, and said, 'What then ensueth, O
talking tackle?'

And the brush and the blade stood up, and said in a shrill tone, 'Honour
to Shibli Bagarag and barbers! Shame unto Shagpat and his fellows!'

Upon that, the King cried, 'Enough, O talking tackle; I will forestall
the coming thing. I will be shaved! wullahy, that will I!'

Then the hawk whispered to Shibli Bagarag, 'Forward and shear him!' So
he stepped forth and seized the tackle, and addressed himself keenly to
the shaving of the King of Oolb, lathering him and performing his task
with perfect skill. And the courtiers crowded to follow the example of
the King, and Shibli Bagarag shaved them, all of them. Now, when they
were shaved, fear smote them, the fear of ridicule, and each laughed at
the change that was in the other; but the King cried, 'See that order is
issued for the people of Oolb to be as we before to-morrow's sun. So is