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These fashions pertain to none but Ma'an bin Zaidah! so let each one of us say somewhat of verse in his praise." Then quoth the first, "He heads his arrows with piles of gold, * And while shooting his foes is his bounty doled: Affording the wounded a means of cure, * And a sheet for the bider beneath the mould!" And quoth the second,
And amongst instances of generosity is the It is told of Ma'an bin Zaidah that, being out one day a-chasing and a-hunting, he became athirst but his men had no water with them; and while thus suffering behold, three damsels met him bearing three skins of water; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
"Abd el Hakk approached. "'God bless thee, my mother, and repay thee a thousand-fold! "But Záïdah herself was poor. Her property consisted only of a hut and some fowls. She set before him eggs two, hard-boiled, bread also. He thanked God. He ate. "'Yes, God will repay, she said. "Next day Abd el Hakk passed on to Marrákesh. There God blessed him.
Now Ma'an bin Zaidah went forth one day to the chase with his company, and they came upon a herd of gazelles; so they separated in pursuit and Ma'an was left alone to chase one of them. So he remounted and riding up to the new- comer, saluted him and asked him, "Whence comest thou?" Asked Ma'an, "How much dost thou hope to get of him?"; and the Badawi answered, "A thousand dinars."
Onward he pushed. "Presently he could make out the huts of a village. "'Thank God! he cried; but still he had no supper. "His empty stomach clamoured. His purse was empty also. The fiendish dogs of the village yelped at him. He paused discomfited. He called. "Widow Záïdah stood before her light. "'Who's there? "'A God-guest' "'In God's name, then, welcome! Silence there, curs!
Years passed on; one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Abd el Hakk was rich. Melûdi the lawyer disliked him. Said he to Widow Záïdah "'Abd el Hakk, whom once thou succouredst, is rich. The two eggs were never yet paid for. Hadst thou not given them to him they would have become two chickens. These would each have laid hundreds. Those hundreds, when hatched, would have laid their thousands.
"And if he say still, too much?" asked Ma'an bin Zaidah. So Ma'an laughed at him and urged his steed till he came up with his suite and returned to his place, when he said to his chamberlain, "An there come to thee a man with cucumbers and riding on an ass admit him to me."
In seven years, think to what amount Abd el Hakk is indebted to thee. Sue him. "Widow Záïdah listened. What is more, she acted. Abd el Hakk failed to appear to rebut the claim. He was worth no more. "'Why is the defendant not here? asked the judge. "'My lord, said his attorney, 'he is gone to sow boiled beans. "'Boiled beans! "'Boiled beans, my lord. "'Is he mad?
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