ABU KIR THE DYER AND ABU SIR THE BARBER

THERE dwelt once, in Alexander city, two men, of whom one was a
dyer, by name of Abu Kir, and the other a barber, Abu Sir, and they

were neighbors in the market street, where their shops stood side by
side. The dyer was a swindler and a liar, an exceedingwicked wight,

as if indeed his head temples were hewn out of a boulder rock or
fashioned of the threshold of a Jewish synagogue, nor was he ashamed

of any shameful work he wroughtamongst the folk. It was his wont,
when any brought him cloth for staining, first to require of him

payment under pretense of buying dyestuffs therewith. So the
customer would give him the wage in advance and wend his ways, and the

dyer would spend all he received on meat and drink, after which he
would sell the cloth itself as soon as ever its owner turned his

back and waste its worth in eating and drinking not else, for he ate
not but of the daintiest and most delicate viands nor drank but of the

best of that which doth away the wit of man. And when the owner of the
cloth came to him, he would say to him, "Return to me tomorrow

before sunrise and thou shalt find thy stuff dyed."
So the customer would go away, saying to himself, "One day is near

another day," and return next day at the appointed time, when the dyer
would say to him: "Come tomorrow. Yesterday I was not at work, for I

had with me guests and was occupied with doing what their wants
required till they went, but tomorrow before sunrise come and take thy

cloth dyed." So he would fare forth and return on the third day,
when Abu Kir would say to him: "Indeed yesterday I was excusable,

for my wife was brought to bed in the night, and all day I was busy
with manifold matters, but tomorrow, without fail, come and take thy

cloth dyed." When the man came again at the appointed time, he would
put him off with some other pretense, it mattered little what, and

would swear to him, as often as he came, till the customer lost
patience and said, "How often wilt thou say to me, 'Tomorrow?' Give me

my stuff, I will not have it dyed." Whereupon the dyer would make
answer: "By Allah, O my brother, I am abashed at thee, but I must tell

the truth and may Allah harm all who harm folk in their goods!" The
other would exclaim, "Tell me what hath happened," and Abu Kir would

reply: "As for thy stuff, I dyed that same on matchless wise and
hung it on the drying rope, but 'twas stolen and I know not who

stole it." If the owner of the stuff were of the kindly he would
say, "Allah will compensate me," and if he were of the

ill-conditioned, he would haunt him with exposure and insult, but
would get nothing of him, though he complained of him to the judge.

He ceased not doing thus till his report was noised abroad among the
folk and each used to warn other against Abu Kir, who became a

byword amongst them. So they all held aloof from him and none would be
entrapped by him save those who were ignorant of his character; but

for all this, he failed not daily to suffer insult and exposure from
Allah's creatures. By reason of this his trade became slack, and he

used to go to the shop of his neighbor the barber Abu Sir and sit
there, facing the dyery and with his eyes on the door. Whenever he

espied anyone who knew him not standing at the dyery door with a piece
of stuff in his hand, he would leave the barber's booth and go up to

him saying, "What seekest thou, O thou?" and the man would reply,
"Take and dye me this thing." So the dyer would ask, "What color

wilt thou have it?" For, with all his knavish tricks, his hand was
in all manner of dyes. But he was never true to anyone, wherefore

poverty had gotten the better of him. Then he would take the stuff and
say, "Give me my wage in advance, and come tomorrow and take the

stuff." So the stranger would advance him the money and wend his
way, whereupon Abu Kir would carry the cloth to the market street

and sell it and with its price buy meat and vegetables and tobacco and
fruit and what not else he needed. But whenever he saw anyone who

had given him stuff to dye standing at the door of his shop, he
would not come forth to him or even show himself to him.

On this wise he abode years and years, till it fortuned one day that
he received cloth to dye from a man of wrath, and sold it and spent

the proceeds. The owner came to him every day, but found him not in
his shop; for whenever he espied anyone who had claim against him,

he would flee from him into the shop of the barber, Abu Sir. At last
that angry man, finding that he was not to be seen and growing weary

of such work, repaired to the kazi, and bringing one of his
sergeants to the shop, nailed up the door, in presence of a number

of Moslems, and sealed it, for that he saw thereinnaught save some
broken pans of earthenware, to stand him instead of his stuff. After

which the sergeant took the key, saying to the neighbors, "Tell him to
bring back this man's cloth, then come to me and take his shop-key,"

and went his way, he and the man.
Then said Abu Sir to Abu Kir: "What ill business is this? Whoever

bringeth thee aught, thou losest it for him. What hath become of
this angry man's stuff.?" Answered the dyer, "O my neighbor, 'twas

stolen from me." "Prodigious!" exclaimed the barber. "Whenever
anyone giveth thee aught, a thief stealeth it from thee! Art thou then

the meeting place of every rogue upon town? But I doubt me thou liest,
so tell me the truth." Replied Abu Kir, "O my neighbor, none hath

stolen aught from me." Asked Abu Sir, "What then dost thou with the
people's property?" and the dyer answered, "Whenever anyone giveth

me aught to dye, I sell it and spend the price." Quoth Abu Sir, "Is
this permitted thee of Allah?" and quoth Abu Kir, "I do this only

out of poverty, because business is slack with me and I am poor and
have nothing." And he went on to complain to him of the dullness of

his trade and his lack of means.
Abu Sir in like manner lamented the little profit of his own

calling, saying: "I am a master of my craft and have not my equal in
this city, but no one cometh to me to be polled, because I am a

pauper. And I loathe this art and mystery, O my brother." Abu Kir
replied: "And I also loathe my own craft, by reason of its

slackness. But, O my brother, what call is there for our abiding in
this town? Let us depart from it, I and thou, and solace ourselves

in the lands of mankind, carrying in our hands our crafts which are in
demand all the world over. So shall we breathe the air, and rest

from this grievous trouble." And he ceased not to command travel to
Abu Sir till the barber became wishful to set out, so they agreed upon

their route. When they agreed to travel together, Abu Kir said to
Abu Sir: "O my neighbor, we are become brethren and there is no

difference between us, so it behooveth us to recite the fatihah that
he of us who gets work shall of his gain feed him who is out of

work, and whatever is left, we will lay in a chest. And when we return
to Alexandria, we will divide it fairly and equally." "So be it,"

replied Abu Sir, and they repeated the opening chapter of the Koran on
this understanding.

Then Abu Sir locked up his shop and gave the key to its owner,
whilst Abu Kir left his door locked and sealed and let the key lie

with the kazi's sergeant. After which they took their baggage and
embarked on the morrow in a galleon upon the salt sea. They set sail

the same day and fortune attended them, for, of Abu Sir's great good
luck, there was not a barber in the ship, albeit it carried a

hundred and twenty men, besides captain and crew. So when they
loosed the sails, the barber said to the dyer: "O my brother, this

is the sea, and we shall need meat and drink. We have but little
provaunt with us and haply the voyage will be long upon us,

wherefore methinks I will shoulder my budget and pass among the
passengers, and maybe someone will say to me, 'Come hither, O

barber, and shave me,' and I will shave him for a scone or a silver
bit or a draught of water. So shall we profit by this, I and thou

too." "There's no harm in that," replied the dyer, and laid down his
head and slept, whilst the barber took his gear and water tasse, and

throwing over his shoulder a rag to serve as napkin (because he was
poor), passed among the passengers.