for his two brothers oblinatel, persisted in robbing him of his name.
The Caliph could not help laughing at this comical contest of the three crumps; but having at length reassumed his gravity; there would be no such dispute among you, said he, which should. be Babekan, if you knew that I want to distinguish him only to give him a thousand bastinadoes for his cruelty to his brothers and for his forbidding his wife to entertain them in his absence.
Watik-billah pronounced these words in so severe a tone, that bad and Svahook thought it high time to give over the jest: If it be so, my lord, said each of them separately, we are no longer what we pretended to be, with design to punish our brother for his ill usage of us: if there are any blows to be received, let him receive them, for they are no more than he he serves: as for us, my lord, we implore your generosity, and we are in hopes that your august majesty, who never suffers any to depart unsatsified, will have the goodness to alleviate our misery and want.
The Caliph then threw his eyes upon Babekan, whom he saw in the greatest confusion. Well, said he to him, what has thou to say for thyself? Potent King, replied Babekan with his face prostrated to the earth whatever punishment I am to look for from your justice. I am nevertheless the husband of this woman; my crime is still the greater in that being the only cause of the banishment of my brothers from the city of Damascus; for a murder, of which our resemblance hindered me from being known the author. I ought to share let them participate in my good fortune, as they shared in my bad: but if a sincere repentance can obtain my pardon offer from the bottom of my heart to give them equal parts of all the money I
