318
were grievous to me to give him aught; yet, if I gave not to him, he would assuredly put me to the torture; wherefore I arose to see if my skin were beating-proof or not.’
When they heard this, they said to him, ‘May God not assain thy body, unlucky madman that thou art! Of a surety thou art fallen mad to-night! Lie down [and go to sleep], may God not bless thee! How many thousand dinars hast thou, that the Khalif should come and borrow of thee?’ Quoth he, ‘By Allah, I have nought but nine dinars.’ And they all said, ‘By Allah, he is indeed rich.’
Then they left him, marvelling at his lack of wit, and he took his money and wrapped it in a rag, saying in himself, ‘Where shall I hide this gold? If I bury it, they will take it, and if I put it out on deposit, they will deny [having received] it, and if I carry it on my head,[1] they will snatch it, and if I tie it to my sleeve, they will cut it away.’ Presently, he espied a little pocket in the breast [of the gown] and said, ‘By Allah, this is fine! It is under my gullet and hard by my mouth; so if any put out his hand to take it, I can come down on it with my mouth and hide it in my throttle.’ So he put the rag containing the gold in the pocket [and lay down], but slept not that night for inquietude and care and restlessness.
On the morrow, he went forth of his lodging, on fishing intent, and betaking himself to the river, went down into the water, up to his knees. Then he cast the net and shook it mightily; whereupon the purse [flew out of his pocket] and fell into the stream. So he tore off gown and turban and plunged in after it, saying, ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ Nor did he give over diving, till the day was half spent, but found not the purse.
Now one saw him diving and plunging and his gown
- ↑ i.e. in the folds of his turban, a common substitute for a purse with the lower classes in the East.
