第71章 (71)

When it was the Three Hundred and Eighth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Caliph Al-Maamun approved his speech and ordered him to come up from his low place to a high stead.Now when the second question came to him，he made a still more notable answer，and Al-Maamun ordered him to be preferred to a yet higher seat； and when the third question reached him，he made answer more justly and appropriately than on the two previous occasions，and Al-Maamun bade him come up and sit near himself.Presently the discussion ended when water was brought and they washed their hands after which food was set on and they ate； and the doctors arose and withdrew； but Al-Maamun forbade the stranger to depart with them and，calling him to himself，treated him with especial-favour and promised him honour and profit.Thereupon they made ready the seance of wassail； the fair-faced cup-companions came and the pure wine[252] went round amongst them，till the cup came to the stranger，who rose to his feet and spake thus，'If the Commander of the Faithful permit me，I will say one word.'

Answered the Caliph，'Say what thou wilt.' Quoth the man 'Verily the Exalted Intelligence （whose eminence Allah increase！） knoweth that his slave was this day，in the august assembly，one of the unknown folk and of the meanest of the company； and the Commander of the Faithful raised his rank and brought him near to himself，little as were the wit and wisdom he displayed，preferring him above the rest and advancing him to a station and a degree where to his thought aspired not.But now he is minded to part him from that small portion of intellect which raised him high from his lowness and made him great after his littleness.Heaven forfend and forbid that the Commander of the Faithful should envy his slave what little he hath of understanding and worth and renown！

Now，if his slave should drink wine，his reason would depart far from him and ignorance draw near to him and steal-away his good breeding，so would he revert to that low and contemptible degree，whence he sprang，and become ridiculous and despicable in the eyes of the folk.I hope，therefore，that the August Intelligence，of his power and bounty and royal-generosity and magnanimity，will not despoil his slave of this jewel.' When the Caliph Al-Maamun heard his speech，he praised him and thanked him and making him sit down again in his place，showed him high honour and ordered him a present of an hundred thousand silver pieces.Moreover he mounted him upon a horse and gave him rich apparel； and in every assembly he was wont to exalt him and show him favour over all the other doctors of law and religion till he became the highest of them all in rank.And Allah is All knowing.[253] Men also tell a tale of ALI SHAR[254] AND ZUMURRUD.

There lived once in the days of yore and the good old times long gone before，in the land of Khorasan，a merchant called Majd al-Din，who had great wealth and many slaves and servants，white and black，young and old； but he had not been blessed with a child until he reached the age of threescore，when Almighty Allah vouchsafed him a son，whom he named Ali Shar.The boy grew up like the moon on the night of fulness； and when he came to man's estate and was endowed with all kinds of perfections，his father fell sick of a death-malady and，calling his son to him，said，'O my son，the fated hour of my decease is at hand，and I desire to give thee my last injunctions.' He asked，'And what are they，O my father？'； and he answered，'O my son，I charge thee，be not over-familiar with any[255] and eschew what leadeth to evil and mischief.Beware lest thou sit in company with the wicked；

for he is like the blacksmith； if his fire burn thee not，his smoke shall bother thee： and how excellent is the saying of the poet，[256] 'In thy whole world there is not one，Whose friendship thou may'st count upon，Nor plighted faith that will stand true，When times go hard，and hopes are few.

Then live apart and dwell alone，Nor make a prop of any one，I've given a gift in that I've said，Will stand thy friend in every stead：'

And what another saith，'Men are a hidden malady；*Rely not on the sham in them：

For perfidy and treachery*Thou'lt find，if thou examine them.'

And yet a third saith，'Converse with men hath scanty weal，except*To while away the time in chat and prate：

Then shun their intimacy，save it be*To win thee lore，or better thine estate.'

And a fourth saith，'If a sharp-witted wight e'er tried mankind，* I've eaten that which only tasted he：[257]

Their amity proved naught but wile and guile，* Their faith I found was but hypocrisy.''

Quoth Ali，'O my father，I have heard thee and I will obey thee what more shall I do？' Quoth he，'Do good whereas thou art able；

be ever kind and courteous to men and regard as riches every occasion of doing a good turn； for a design is not always easily carried out； and how well saith the poet，'Tis not at every time and tide unstable，* We can do kindly acts and charitable：When thou art able hasten thee to act，* Lest thine endeavour prove anon unable！'

Said Ali，'I have heard thee and I will obey thee.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Ninth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the youth replied，'I have heard thee and I will obey thee； what more？' And his sire continued，'Be thou，O my son，mindful of Allah，so shall He be mindful of thee.Ward thy wealth and waste it not；

for an thou do，thou wilt come to want the least of mankind.Know that the measure of a man's worth is according to that which his right hand hendeth： and how well saith the poet，[258]'When fails my wealth no friend will deign befriend，* And when it waxeth all men friendship show：

How many a foe for wealth became my friend，* Wealth lost，how many a friend became a foe！'