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"What!" exclaimed Sidi ibn Thalabi, "is the barber present?" "The barber is not present," said Haroun, "but only the brush." As he said these words, Giafer, with a low bow, placed the brush again in his hands. "Allah, be merciful to us!" exclaimed the astonished Sidi ibn Thalabi. "Why, it can be no other than the Caliph himself!"
To this Sidi ibn Thalabi replied, "I shall gladly conduct you to my boat on the Tigris, whither I was going when I had the good fortune to meet with you.
A common Arab practice. The Caliph and Sidi ibn Thalabi On the next morning after Haroun Alraschid had given the customary audiences to his Viziers and the great officers of his kingdom, he ordered Mesrúr to send and fetch Kaseem, the barber whose story Sidi ibn Thalabi had related to him.
When Sidi ibn Thalabi had concluded the story of the barber and the camel's-hair brush, many of those present were as anxious as Haroun had been when he first heard it, to know what had become of the little brush, and whether Sidi ibn Thalabi had bought it of the barber.
"I should say," said Haroun, "that he is never likely to hear of it, unless you communicate it to him yourself." "In that case I should be safe enough," said Sidi ibn Thalabi. "However, to resume, what put the idea into my head in the first instance was this.
While Sidi ibn Thalabi was concluding his tale, the Caliph had observed that one of the black slaves in attendance was showing all the teeth he possessed and a very sound white set they were in a capacious grin of enjoyment of the circumstances that were being narrated.
"No, gentlemen," said Sidi ibn Thalabi; "the barber altogether refused to sell the brush on any terms, or at any price, and declared that he would never part with it unless the Caliph himself, seated upon his throne and arrayed in his royal robes, demanded it of him."
"'This morning, therefore, when I happened to give utterance to that rash boast of being able to shave successfully any living thing a boast you so cleverly turned against me I determined to make good my words by virtue of the camel's-hair brush." "And what," asked Haroun of Sidi ibn Thalabi, "what has become of the brush? did you not buy it of the barber?"
Sidi ibn Thalabi having thanked his Majesty for his gracious and generous gifts, Haroun, turning to Murad Essed, the Unfortunate Merchant, said: "This house, once your own, and all it contains, I give to you, and my treasurer shall to-morrow bring you ten thousand dinars, with which you may recommence to trade; may you be in the future more cautious and more lucky."
"I endeavoured to do so," answered he, "but the barber declared that unless the Caliph himself seated upon his throne should demand it, he would never part with it on any terms to any man." "I think, friend Sidi ibn Thalabi," said Haroun, "that the barber is right.
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