THE SLEEPER AND THE WAKER

IT hath reached me, O auspicious King, that there was once at
Baghdad, in the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid, a man and a merchant who

had a son Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a by name. The merchant died leaving
great store of wealth to his heir, who divided it into two equal

parts, whereof he laid up one and spent of the other half. And he fell
to companying with Persians and with the sons of the merchants, and he

gave himself up to good drinking and good eating till all the wealth
he had with him was wasted and wantoned. Whereupon he betook himself

to his friends and comrades and cup companions and expounded to them
his case, discovering to them the failure of that which was in his

hand of wealth. But not one of them took heed of him or even deigned
answer him.

So he returned to his mother (and indeed his spirit was broken)
and related to her that which had happened to him and what had

befallen him from his friends, how they had neither shared with him
nor requited him with speech. Quoth she: "O Abu al-Hasan, on this wise

are the sons of this time: And thou have aught, they draw thee near to
them, and if thou have naught, they put thee away from them." And

she went on to condole with him, what while he bewailed himself and
his tears flowed and he repeated these lines:

"An wane my wealth, no man will succor me,
When my wealth waxeth all men friendly show.

How many a friend for wealth showed friendliness
Who, when my wealthdeparted, turned to foe!"

Then he sprang up, and going to the place wherein was the other half
of his goods, took it and lived with it well. And he sware that he

would never again consort with a single one of those he had known, but
would company only with the stranger, nor entertain even him but one

night, and that when it morrowed, he would never know him more.
Accordingly he fell to sitting every eventide on the bridge over

Tigris and looking at each one who passed by him. And if he saw him to
be a stranger, he made friends with him and carried him to his

house, where he conversed and caroused with him all night till
morning. Then he dismissed him, and would never more salute him with

the salaam nor ever more drew near unto him, neither invited him
again.

Thus he continued to do for the space of a full year, till one day
while he sat on the bridge, as was his wont, expecting who should come

to him so he might take him and pass the night with him, behold, up
came the Caliph and Masrur, the Sworder of his vengeance, disguised in

merchants' dress, according to their custom. So Abu al-Hasan looked at
them, and rising, because he knew them not, asked them: "What say

ye? Will ye go with me to my dwelling place, so ye may eat what is
ready and drink what is at hand; to wit, platter bread and meat cooked

and wine strained?" The Caliph refused this, but he conjured him and
said to him: "Allah upon thee, O my lord. Go with me, for thou art

my guest this night, and balk not my hopes of thee!" And he ceased not
to press him till he consented, whereat Abu al-Hasan rejoiced, and

walking on before him, gave not over talking with him till they came
to his house and he carried the Caliph into the saloon.

Al-Rashid entered a hall such as an thou sawest it and gazedst
upon its walls, thou hadst beheld marvels, and hadst thou looked

narrowly at its water conduits, thou wouldst have seen a fountain
cased with gold. The Caliph made his man abide at the door, and as

soon as he was seated, the host brought him somewhat to eat. So he
ate, and Abu al-Hasan ate with him, that eating might be grateful to

him. Then he removed the tray and they washed their hands and the
Commander of the Faithful sat down again. Whereupon Abu al-Hasan set

on the drinking vessels, and seating himself by his side, fell to
filling and giving him to drink and entertaining him with discourse.

And when they had drunk their sufficiency the host called for a
slave girl like a branch of ban, who took a lute and sang to it

these two couplets:
"O thou aye dwelling in my heart,

Whileas thy form is far from sight,
Thou art my sprite by me unseen,

Yet nearest near art thou, my sprite."
His hospitality pleased the Caliph, and the goodliness of his

manners, and he said to him: "O youth, who art thou? Make me
acquainted with thyself, so I may requite thee thy kindness." But

Abu al-Hasan smiled and said: 'O my lord, far be it, alas! that what
is past should again come to pass and that I company with thee at

other time than this time!" The Prince of True Believers asked: "Why
so? And why wilt thou not acquaint me with thy case?" and Abu al-Hasan

answered, "Know, O my lord, that my story is strange and that there is
a cause for this affair." Quoth Al-Rashid, "And what is the cause?"

and quoth he, "The cause hath a tail." The Caliph laughed at his words
and Abu al-Hasan said, "I will explain to thee this saying by the tale

of the larrikin and the cook. So hear thou, O my lord, the

• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)
• failure [´feiljə] n.失败；衰竭；破产 (初中英语单词)
• sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)
• entertain [,entə´tein] vt.招待；娱乐；使高兴 (初中英语单词)
• salute [sə´lu:t] n.&v.招呼；行礼；敬礼 (初中英语单词)
• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)
• beheld [bi´held] behold的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)
• grateful [´greitful] a.感谢的；令人愉快的 (初中英语单词)
• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)
• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)
• acquaint [ə´kweint] vt.使....认识；告知 (初中英语单词)
• related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)
• naught [nɔ:t] n.无；零 (高中英语单词)
• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
• wherein [weər´in] ad.那里面 (高中英语单词)
• vengeance [´vendʒəns] n.报复，复仇 (高中英语单词)
• hospitality [,hɔspi´tæliti] n.好客，殷勤 (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
• whereof [weər´ɔv] ad.关于什么；关于那事 (英语四级单词)
• whereupon [,weərə´pɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语四级单词)
• succor [´sʌkə] n.救援 vt.支援 (英语四级单词)
• consort [´kɔnsɔ:t] n.&v.配偶；合作；一致 (英语四级单词)
• bridge [bridʒ] n.桥(梁)；鼻梁；桥牌 (英语四级单词)
• platter [´plætə] n.(椭圆形的)大浅盘 (英语四级单词)
• whereat [weər´æt] ad.对于...；在这里 (英语四级单词)
• sleeper [´sli:pə] n.睡眠者；(铁路)枕木 (英语六级单词)
• departed [di´pɑ:tid] a.已往的；已故的 (英语六级单词)
• sprite [sprait] n.小妖精；捣蛋鬼 (英语六级单词)