第63章

but I knew myself to be but a man of the people and that such things befitted none save the Commander of the Faithful.And now，with thy leave，I will show thee，for thy diversion，something of what I can do.'Al-Rashid replied，'Do what thou wilt，that we may see.''To hear is to obey，'said Abu Mohammed and，moving his lips，beckoned the palace battlements，[230] whereupon they inclined to him； then he made another sign to them，and they returned to their place.Presently he made a sign with his eye，and there appeared before him closets with closed doors，to which he spoke，and lo！ the voices of birds answered him from within.

The Caliph marvelled with passing marvel at this and said to him，'How camest thou by all this，seeing that thou art known only as Abu Mohammed Lazybones，and they tell me that thy father was a cupper serving in a public Hammam，who left thee nothing？'

Whereupon he answered，'Listen to my story'And Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and First Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Abu Mohammed Lazybones thus spake to the Caliph：'O Prince of True Believers，listen to my story，for it is a marvellous and its particulars are wondrous； were it graven with graver-needles upon the eye-corners it were a warner to whose would be warned.'Quoth Al-Rashid，'Let us hear all thou hast to say，O Abu Mohammed！'

So he began'Know then，O Commander of the Faithful （Allah prolong to thee glory and dominion！），the report of the folk；

that I am known as the Lazybones and that my father left me nothing，is true； for he was，as thou hast said，nothing but a barber-cupper in a Hammam.And I throughout my youth was the idlest wight on the face of the earth； indeed，so great was my sluggishness that，if I lay at full length in the sultry season and the sun came round upon me，I was too lazy to rise and remove from the sun to the shade.And thus I abode till I reached my fifteenth year，when my father deceased in the mercy of Allah Almighty and left me nothing.However，my mother used to go out a-charing and feed me and give me to drink，whilst I lay on my side.Now it came to pass that one day she came in to me with five silver dirhams，and said to me，'O my son，I hear that Shaykh Abu al-Muzaffar[231] is about to go a voyage to China.'

（Now this Shaykh was a good and charitable man who loved the poor.）'So come，my son，take these five silver bits； and let us both carry them to him and beg him to buy thee therewith somewhat from the land of China； so haply thou mayst make a profit of it by the bounty of Allah，whose name be exalted！'I was too idle to move for her； but she swore by the Almighty that，except I rose and went with her，she would bring me neither meat nor drink nor come in to me，but would leave me to die of hunger and thirst.

Now when I heard her words，O Commander of the Faithful，I knew she would do as she threatened for her knowledge of my sluggishness； so I said to her，'Help me to sit up.'She did so，and I wept the while and said to her，'Bring me my shoes.'

Accordingly，she brought them and I said，'Put them on my feet.'

She put them on my feet and I said，'Lift me up off the ground.'

So she lifted me up and I said，'Support me，that I may walk.'So she supported me and I continued to fare a foot，at times stumbling over my skirts，till we came to the river bank，where we saluted the Shaykh and I said to him，'O my uncle，art thou Abu al-Muzaffar？''At thy service，'answered he，and I，'Take these dirhams and with them buy me somewhat from the land of China： haply Allah may vouchsafe me a profit of it.'Quoth the Shaykh to his companions，'Do ye know this youth？'They answered，'Yes，he is known as Abu Mohammed Lazybones，and we never saw him stir from his house till this moment.'Then said he to me，'O my son，give me the silver with the blessing of Almighty Allah！'So he took the money，saying，'Bismillah in the name of Allah！'and I returned home with my mother.Presently Shaykh Abu al-Muzaffar set sail，with a company of merchants，and stayed not till they reached the land of China，where he and his bought and sold； and，having won what they wished，set out on their homeward voyage.

When they had been three days at sea，the Shaykh said to his company，'Stay the vessel！'They asked，'What dost thou want？'

and he answered，'Know that I have forgotten the commission wherewith Abu Mohammed Lazybones charged me； so let us turn back that we may lay out his money on somewhat whereby he may profit.'

They cried，'We conjure thee，by Allah Almighty turn not back with us； for we have traversed a long distance and a sore，and while so doing we have endured sad hardship and many terrors.'

Quoth he，'There is no help for it but we return；'and they said，'Take from us double the profit of the five dirhams，and turn us not back.'He agreed to this and they collected for him an ample sum of money.Thereupon they sailed on，till they came to an island wherein was much people； when they moored thereto and the merchants went ashore，to buy thence a stock of precious metals and pearls and jewels and so forth.Presently Abu al-Muzaffar saw a man seated，with many apes before him，and amongst them one whose hair had been plucked off； and as often as their owner's attention was diverted from them，the other apes fell upon the plucked one and beat him and threw him on their master； whereupon the man rose and bashed them and bound them and punished them for this； and all the apes were wroth with the plucked ape on this account and funded him the more.When Shaykh Abu al-Muzaffar saw this，he felt for and took compassion upon the plucked ape and said to his master，'Wilt thou sell me yonder monkey？'Replied the man，'Buy，'and Abu al-Muzaffar rejoined，'I have with me five dirhams，belonging to an orphan lad.Wilt thou sell it me for that sum？'Answered the monkey-merchant，'It is a bargain；