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THE STORY OF THE YOUNG MAN WHO WAS DEEMED MAD.

HISTORIANS relate that el-Hajjâj-ibn-Yûsuf,

es-Thákify, was keeping watch one night with his councillors, Khâlid-ibn-'Urfutah being amongst them, to whom el-Hajjâj said, "O Khâlid! bring me a tale-teller from the mosque." [For in those days it was thought necessary that there should be some one continually in attendance at the mosques.] And Khâlid went out and found a young man standing up praying. He therefore sat down until the latter had said, "Peace be upon you!"* and then said to him, "Come to the Amîr."

"Did the Amîr send expressly for me?" asked the young man. And when Khâlid replied, "Yes," he went with him, until, on arriving at the door, Khâlid asked him, "What canst thou narrate to the Amîr?"

* At the end of a Muslim's prayers he says, "Peace be upon you," first over the right shoulder and then over the left, to the recording angels who have their posts there.

"He shall find in me whatever he desires, in-shäaAllâh!"* replied the young man.

And when he appeared before el-Hajjâj, the latter asked him, "Hast thou read the Kurân?" "I have," he replied; "and have, moreover, committed it to memory."

"And dost thou know any poetry?" asked elHajjâj.

"There is not one of the poets that I have not studied," he answered.

"And art thou acquainted with the pedigrees of the Arabs, and their adventures?" continued elHajjâj.

"Of all that, nothing is forgotten by me," the young man made answer. And he continued narrating whatever the Amîr desired, until the latter thought of

* In-shäa-Allah-- If it please God. Nothing is ever proposed to be done by a Muslim without his adding these words.

†The Arabs used to value themselves excessively on account of the nobility of their families; and so many disputes occurred upon that subject that it is no wonder if they took great pains in settling their descents. A knowledge of the genealogies and history of their tribes was one of the three sciences chiefly cultivated by them before the time of Muhammad. The others were, a knowledge of the stars sufficient to foretell the changes of weather, and the power of interpreting dreams.

retiring, when he said, "O Khâlid! make over to the young man a mule, and a slave boy and girl, and four thousand dirhems." Whereupon the young man exclaimed, “God save the Prince! the prettiest and most wonderful of my tales yet remains."

So el-Hajjâj resumed his seat, saying, "Relate it." The young man began: "God save the Amîr! My father perished when I was a child of tender years, and I was therefore brought up under the care of my paternal uncle, who had a beautiful daughter. And even in childhood we loved one another, and our love grew most wonderfully until the time came that we both learnt that matchmakers were eagerly seeking her, and offering to dower her with great wealth on account of her beauty and accomplishments. And when I saw this, sickness took possession of me, and I became weak and was laid upon my bed. Then I made ready a huge jar, which I filled with sand and stones, and sealing its mouth, I buried it under my bed. And after the fulfilment of certain days, I went to my uncle, and said, 'O uncle! of a truth I had determined upon travelling; but I have lighted upon a vast treasure, and was afraid lest I might die without any one knowing about it. If therefore my

end should come, bring it forth; and liberate ten slaves for me; and send somebody ten times on the pilgrimage for me; and equip for me ten men with horses and weapons; and bestow a thousand dinârs for me in alms. And be not uneasy about it, O uncle! for verily the treasure is considerable.' And when my uncle had heard my words, he went to his wife and made the same known to her. Then nothing could exceed the hurry with which she and her slavegirls set off to come to me. And she laid her hand on my head and said, 'By Allâh! O son of my brother! I did not know of thy illness nor of what had happened to thee until the father of So-and-so told me about it this moment.' And she talked to me coaxingly, and doctored me with medicines, and overpowered me with kindness, and drove the suitors away from her daughter.

was upon my guard.

uncle, and said, 'O

And when I saw this, I
After a while.
After a while I sent to my

my uncle! truly God, the

Glorious and Most High, has been gracious unto me

and restored me to health. Seek out for me,

therefore,

a girl with such and such beauty and accomplishments and qualities; and let nothing be demanded from thee that thou dost not grant.' So he asked,

'O son of my brother! what hinders thee from choosing the daughter of thy uncle?' I made answer, 'She is to me the dearest of beings created by the Most High; but, verily, when ere now I sought her thou didst refuse me.' He said, 'On the contrary, the refusal was on the part of her mother; and now she is quite reconciled to it and pleased at it.' So I said, 'Do as thou wilt.' Then he returned to his wife and made my words known to her. And she assembled her kindred, and married me to the very girl. After which, I said, 'Hasten as thou wilt to bring me the daughter of my uncle; afterwards I will show thee the jar.' So she was brought to my house, and her mother did not omit anything that is customary amongst the most noble ladies; but led her daughter to me in procession, and provided her with everything that came in her way. And my uncle bought ten thousand dirhems' worth of goods from the merchants. And every morning for some time there came to us gifts and offerings on the part of her relations. But when some days had gone by, my uncle came to me and said, O son of my brother! verily I bought from the

thousand dirhems' worth of goods;

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